Altered Children

Admiral gePetral, Admiral teDanon and the new flotilla COs sat around the chart table in the cramped flag command center aboard the Vartrop Nebula, which was now the flagship of the Eighteenth Independent Battle Group. Surrounded by computing, communications and sensor equipment and view screens, they reviewed their survey of the Silkaran military commanders.

Flotilla 18 IBG 1′s commander glanced at the three officers. In a glum, sober voice Captain geMilot said, “It has been two hours since our last contact with the prime minister and commander of the home affairs defense guard. It appears the General Staff made its move.”

Captain geMilot checked his notes. “Their last intelligence report indicated they had commitment from the commanders of the Second Fleet, Third Fleet, First Army, and Second Legion. So far, the Fourth Fleet, Second Army, Fourth Army, and Fourth Legion are remaining neutral. The other forces seem to be supporting the General Staff.”

“That gives them only a slight advantage overall,” Admiral teDanon surmised in his raspy voice, his brow ridge drawn down. “But they have significant numerical superiority on the ground. If they have already taken control of the government, some commanders who actually support the government or claim neutrality may swear allegiance to the General Staff merely because they believe it is over.”

Beneath his uncertain tone, Admiral gePetral’s voice hardened. “We must make certain those commanders who were committed to the government remain steadfast. Leave it to me. I will contact them again.”

“Hmm, you know,” Admiral teDanon added while drumming his fingers on the table, “we need those cowards who prefer to sit on the sidelines. I should work harder on them.”

“Good idea,” Admiral gePetral said, “But do it subtly. It is important not to give away our own predilection prematurely in case one of those commanders does a turn-about and informs the General Staff.” Admiral gePetral smiled and said in a jovial tone, “You will deserve the platinum garland if you can pull this off.”

“Yes, well, the gold one will be quite acceptable,” Admiral teDanon replied with a matching tone and mock salute. This will be rather tricky.” He stroked his chin and looked up at the overhead. “If I use those arguments the Jerithans made with us—they are logical and solid—and make it sound like a hypothetical case. Hmm . . . it just might work.”

The new CO of Flotilla 18 IBG 1 shook his head. “It is a shame we cannot get the children in close proximity to any of those commanders. That would be most helpful.”

“Yes, but we must take the shortest route home and not detour for face-to-face meetings,” Admiral teDanon said. “The best they can do is monitor those officers over the communicators. Maybe they can sense something in their voices and body language we might miss.”

Admiral gePetral glanced at the clock on the bulkhead behind the command console. “We will be home in five hours. Not much time left.” He pointed at the two captains. “You two see what you can do with the commanders of those smaller units.” He slapped his hand on the table. “We will meet here again in two hours. Dismissed.” They left with purposeful strides and determined looks on each of their faces.

Admiral teDanon paced the deck in his temporary quarters. His cabin was inboard, with three rooms, one for sleeping, a tiny bathroom, and an office with a desk, built-in chair, a small sofa that Claire occupied, and a side chair in which sat a doctor from Flotilla 18 IBG 2′s medical team. The only decorative element in the otherwise sterile quarters, a panel on the bulkhead depicting the carrier with an interceptor squadron departing. The resident officer could change the scene by voice command.

The four senior officers had worked tirelessly over the last two days carefully assessing the attitudes and views of various space defense service, army and legion commanders. Admiral teDanon’s unkempt appearance was a testament to the many hours he had devoted to the task at hand. He waited impatiently for the communications center to make contact with the Fourth Legion commandant—that rank being equivalent to an army general.

He’d already talked to the others. The Fourth Fleet’s commander remained non-committal, but the Second Army’s commander had sworn to support the government.

The doctor had connected to the communicator a device to measure and compare the general’s inflections, speech patterns and tonality to a standard. It would provide a real time indication of his truthfulness. While not a sure thing, the admiral planned to use this information and whatever Claire could tell him, to guide his decision as to how much information to disclose.

The buzzer startled him, causing some of the now cold stimbrew to slosh out of his cup. He opened communications to find Admiral gePetral on the line. “Spuvi, we just picked up a broadcast from the General Staff. It seems we were right about the fall of the government. I am patching it in so you can hear it.”

The voice of the home affairs minister came through the speaker. She announced the government’s capitulation and, to avoid civil war, asked all forces supporting the government to hold their positions and surrender when requested. It was a terse statement, expressed without emotion. Admiral teReevat’s voice followed, promising there would be no reprisals and saying additional proclamations would be forthcoming.

“So, what do you think?” Admiral gePetral inquired.

“The statement will make it more difficult to keep senior officers from capitulating. If our civilian leaders knew of our secret weapon, they would not have given up so easily.”

Admiral gePetral’s voice sounded hopeful rather than confident. “If we can persuade the commanders of the uncommitted forces and those with us to accept we have such a weapon and will be in a position to use it, they should hang in with us.”

“We should do a quick follow-up with the commanders and make sure they realize nothing has changed.”

“Affirmative. Let us get back to it,” Admiral gePetral said with a sigh before disconnecting.

A minute went by before the communicator in Admiral teDanon’s quarters signaled another call. The commandant of the Fourth Legion had been reached and was now available.

“Thank you for taking my call, Commandant,” the admiral said as he sat down at his desk. “Commandant doTarat of the Second Legion suggested I contact you about the recent decision by the General Staff to take over the reins of government.”

“And what do you want to discuss concerning their decision?”

“Commandant, I am second to Admiral gePetral, the commander of a newly formed battle group. We were recalled from our duty station by the General Staff to return to Silkar and take a local defensive position. We are assessing the intentions of uncommitted commanders to determine what support the General Staff might expect, considering some have chosen to defend the government.”

“I see, Admiral. And what would you expect me to say?”

“You are right to be cautious. It appears you are among those who have decided on a neutral stance. Do you still feel the same?”

“For now, yes.”

“It sounds like you are not in full agreement with the General Staff ’s action.”

“You and Admiral gePetral seem to be following their orders without question, Admiral.”

It is now or never, Admiral teDanon thought. “Well, one may take actions in accordance with orders, but still leave room for other choices later. And we know the attitude of the General Staff toward those who deviate. If you are not with them, you are against them.”

“Are you equivocating?” the commandant asked.

“Not long ago an officer said something fitting. When not in the heat of battle, a soldier should decide if an order given to them is legal and ethical before carrying it out. This goes along with being held responsible for ones actions and not blaming higher authority.”

“Prax’s fist. That is a big risk to take. And what about discipline? If everybody decides for themselves what orders to follow how can the military function?”

“In practice, the problem seems to arise rarely among other league members that follow this principle. We Silkarans may be alone in our unquestioned—perhaps blind—loyalty.”

“Admiral, what of the military code we all swore to uphold?”

“We also swore to uphold the Silkaran Declaration and the league’s Charter of Covenants.”

“Yes, we did. But you have not answered my question. Are you equivocating?”

“You are persistent, Commandant. But to answer your question. We are holding our options open, while at the same time not disobeying orders. Let me ask you a question. Are you familiar with Operation Pacify or Operation Chaos?”

“No, Admiral. Why do you ask? How do they pertain to our present predicament?”

“Admiral gePetral and I have been part of those operations. I am transmitting information on them to you as we speak. They involve serious violations of Silkar and league law by the General Staff. The failure of Operation Pacify and their fear the government found out about the operations resulted in the General Staff’s action against the government.”

“So, the reasons they gave for deposing the government were not valid?”

Admiral teDanon glanced at the doctor, who whispered, “He seems genuinely upset and does not appear deceptive.” Next, the admiral gave a short nod to Claire. “I cannot get into his mind, but from his voice, I have to agree,” she said quietly.

“Commandant, the reasons they gave have a grain of truth but are largely false. The General Staff has its own agenda. Had Admiral gePetral and I not been involved in these illegal—and unethical—operations, we would be as much in the dark as you and everyone else.

“The General Staff claims to have control of the government already. In fact, they transmitted a broadcast supposedly from the home affairs minister instructing all their forces to surrender. If true, our entire discussion may be a useless waste of time and we will have to follow orders.” In a hushed voice, the commandant asked, “So, what is it you expect us to do?”

“We heard the announcement too. It changes nothing. First of all, they only control the government if they control the military. If it comes down to it, all current civilian leaders are expendable, but legal and ethical principles are not. Now, before I answer you, I have another question for you. What would you say if I told you we could end this predicament quickly and with no more bloodshed than has already been spilled?”

“You have the means to do that?”

“Yes, Commandant. But we must meet with the General Staff in order to do it. To make certain they will meet with us, we have to arrive on station in compliance with their orders, and by all appearances be in full support of their actions.”

“If the information you just sent supports your statements, and you can do what you say, we will follow your lead. Can you tell me how you propose to accomplish this feat?”

“I wish I could explain, but what we are going to do must be seen to be believed. Can you accept that we would not put ourselves and our entire battle group in such a precarious position if we were not confident of success?”

“I took the time to check on you and Admiral gePetral. You both have honorable records. Considering everything . . . yes, I can accept your word.”

Admiral teDanon checked with the doctor and Claire. The doctor whispered, “indications are positive.” Claire nodded her agreement.

“As to what we expect of you,” the admiral stated, “we expect you to do as we will do—continue our honorable military traditions by supporting the highest laws and principles of Silkar as stated in the Silkar Declaration. During the last hundred years, the military has sworn to uphold the Declaration and be subservient to civilian authority—until recently.

“If you feel comfortable in declaring your support for the government, please do so quickly. It will give heart to those who have already committed themselves and possibly encourage other neutral commanders to get off the fence.”

“I will make a decision following my review of the material you sent me on those operations and discuss it with my senior officers. You will not have long to wait.”

As soon as they disconnected, Admiral teDanon leaned back, rubbed his eyes, stretched his back and arms, and then faced Claire and the doctor. “Well, that was promising—an ally perhaps. Anyway, it is all we can do for now. I must report to Admiral gePetral.”

There was still confusion over the status of the various military units the day after the government fell. The General Staff held a brief meeting to analyze what was known at the time.

The head of military intelligence tapped his stylus on the table nervously. “We have a list of the commanders and units supporting the government and those who have refused to make a commitment. We command approximately sixty percent of the forces overall, but nearly three-quarters of the troop strength here on Silkar.”

“We will take care of those traitors who oppose us . . . including so-called neutralists,” a stone-faced Admiral teReevat said. “I am surprised they ignored orders to surrender broadcast by the home affairs minister and the prime minister.”

“It seems they are not ready to concede defeat yet,” the army general speculated with a smug expression. “But they will when the rest of our forces are in position.”

“So far there have been a few skirmishes—nothing serious,” the military intelligence general noted. “Someone is holding the opposition together, but we have not determined who.”

An aid to the head of military intelligence entered the room, rushed to the general’s side and handed him a note. The general read it, and slammed his fist on the table. “Prax’s fist! The commanders of the Second Army and Fourth Legion just came out for the government.”

“However, we control most of the committed space defense forces,” Admiral teReevat said with a deceptively confident smirk. “The opposition cannot succeed if they are unable to deploy their troops where they are needed. It is good the new battle group will be here soon.” He looked at the head of military intelligence. “Inform me the moment they arrive. Meanwhile, I will speak to the Fourth Fleet commander again.”

Two hours later, the Eighteenth Independent Battle Group completed its second—relatively short—hyper-jump and were only seven hundred billion kilometers from their home world. Again in normal space, Admiral gePetral contacted Admiral teReevat.

“Welcome back, Dalotu,” Admiral teReevat said, sounding relieved. “I received word of your arrival moments ago and was about to contact you. I understand you and Spuvi spoke with those commanders who are trying to stay out of the fray.”

“Yes, but we could not convince them to honor their oath and submit to your orders.”

“Was that your main purpose in talking to them?” Admiral teReevat wanted to know.

“In addition to doing our best to assess the forces arrayed against us.”

“The Fourth Fleet’s commander thought Spuvi’s arguments were a little weak.”

“Spuvi did the best he could. He warned the commanders of the consequences of failure to support the General Staff and told them we were following your orders. The Fourth Fleet commander was so non-committal Spuvi was concerned the commander might swing to the government’s side if he came on too strongly.”

“Ah, likely the problem. Arrange your forces to intercept any units supporting the government that arrive before our other forces get here. Delay them long enough and we will have overwhelming strength,” he said with lessening confidence. “Your two carriers should be able to harass them so they do not proceed beyond Silkar’s defensive boundary.”

“Yes, sir. We should be on station in a couple of hours. We have additional intelligence gained during our conversations with some of the commanders. It is imperative we meet with you in person because even our narrow beam transmissions might be intercepted by the opposition. Can you join us on the flagship?”

“No, I had best remain here. You will teleport directly to the operations center conference room. Admiral teDanon can certainly remain with the battle group, can he not?”

“Spuvi should inform you himself—from his own perspective. Our meeting should not take long and we will return before opposition forces arrive.”

Admiral teReevat sighed. “How soon can we expect you?”

“In three and a half hours. We will teleport in as you instructed. Who will be present?”

“The full staff, except for the commander of the home affairs defense guard.”

“We will see you then, Admiral. In the meantime, what are your orders?”

“Maintain your battle group’s current configuration at Alert Status Two for now.” Admiral teReevat broke the connection. He called the general in command of military intelligence and told him to have a squad stationed outside the operations center conference room—just in case.

Admiral gePetral twisted in his chair to face Admiral teDanon. “Well, Spuvi, our timing must be exact and we will have to act quickly. There is no telling what surprises they might have for us.”

“We are as ready as we can be. Eight of the children are teleporting with us in the first team, including Claire, Jason, Henri, and Kamal. Masanja and Zahra will monitor them telepathically from the moment we materialize. Eight others will be ready to teleport if needed.”

“Good. Any problems with the practice runs?”

“Not really. Several of the children were nervous and it took them a couple of tries to be able to gain control of a Silkaran’s mind as quickly as we wanted. On the last of several rehearsals it all went smoothly, though we threw in a greater number of opponents than we actually expect.”

“Well Spuvi, nothing else to do now. The Third Fleet, and the Fourth Legion with its escorts, will arrive to support us less than an hour after we are on station.”

Admiral teDanon nodded. “That should provide the back-up we need.”

Admiral gePetral directed all vessels’ captains to set Alert Status Two. “I will order Alert Status One when we teleport. Let us get moving, Spuvi. It is time to board the shuttles and go to teleport position” The two admirals rose as one.

Admiral teReevat stood in front of the metaglas window gazing at the government center complex outside. He watched the few people willing to leave their homes, so soon following the announced overthrow, walk past the thirty-foot tall fountain in the square. A fraction of the usual hovercraft traffic moved along their lanes.

The head of military intelligence sat in his chair gathering last-minute information from a subordinate on the communications console, while the legion supreme commandant nonchalantly doodled and intermittently twirled his stylus. The sound of the elevator door opening distracted them all.

The army general entered out of the elevator he had taken from the operations center on the floor below, and visible from another metaglas window. “The sensors show gePetral’s battle group is deployed appropriately and are now at Alert Status Two as we ordered,” he announced. “Space is getting crowded, though. Our First Fleet has shown up outward of the battle group. The back-stabbing Third Fleet and the Fourth Legion transports and escorts are beginning to appear outward of them.”

“We should have enough power to stop them from penetrating Silkar’s outer defensive boundary,” Admiral teReevat stated. He strode to his seat, his skin reddening.

As the army general sat down next to the Silkar Legion supreme commandant, the military intelligence general switched off his communicator and declared, “I have word our Fifth Fleet and the Third Army’s flotilla should be entering the—”

Everyone’s attention was diverted to a shimmering of the air at the rear of the room followed by the appearance of Admiral gePetral and Admiral teDanon.

“Welcome,” Admiral teReevat said to them. He pointed up. “Things are heating up out there. Let us finish this so you both can get—what the!” The air shimmered again and the children began appearing in their cadet uniforms, their caps pulled down over their foreheads.

“Who are those cadets?” the army general asked, seeing them out of the corner of his eye.

“they are not cadets!” the head of military intelligence shouted, reaching for the alarm button to call in the security squad stationed outside the room. He managed to press the button as he shouted again, “they are—”, and then he froze.

The legion supreme commandant leaped to his feet, upsetting his chair, and stopped, leaning on the table with his hands.

The security squad rushed in from the outer office with lasguns and stunners at the ready, breaking the eerie silence that had momentarily pervaded the room. They looked around for someone to point their guns at. But the security squad saw only officers and some rather strange looking cadets, none of whom appeared armed or threatening.

The squad leader lowered his handgun and faced Admiral teReevat. “Sir, I do not understand. Is something wrong?”

The admiral—by then under Jason’s control—looked up. “No, Lieutenant. I am sorry to have troubled you. The button was pressed accidentally.” He paused while Admiral teDanon moved to Jason’s side and whispered in his ear. One of the “cadets” rushed to the overturned chair, picked it up, then turned and stepped back into place.

The lieutenant’s eyes narrowed to two slits and he started to raise his gun when Admiral teReevat spoke again. “You may return to your stations outside. But stay ready; we may need you shortly.”

The lieutenant turned, led his men back outside, and shut the door. In seconds, each member of the General Staff was sitting with his hands clasped on the table blankly staring ahead.

Jason, Kamal and two other children concentrated on keeping control of the officers, while Claire and the remaining three children rifled through their minds. They searched for the locations of the civilian government leaders and any code words they might have to provide before unit commanders supporting the General Staff would obey their orders.

“We have complete control now,” Jason told Admiral gePetral. “We can have them say and do whatever you want.”

“What is the status of the government’s leaders?” Admiral gePetral inquired anxiously. “Did you learn anything?”

“We know where some of them are located,” one of the children said. “But these are strange minds to us and it would be easier to just make them tell us.”

“All you children move back against the wall next to the lift,” Admiral teDanon urged them. “Line up and stand in the ‘at ease’ position. Do your best to look like cadets.” He turned to Admiral gePetral and had a brief conversation. Both heads were nodding and a look of calmness replaced the tension previously etched in their faces.

Admiral teDanon strolled to the center of the line of ‘cadets’ and faced them. “This is what we want you to do.” After a brief explanation he joined Admiral gePetral, who had already taken a seat at the table.

The members of the General Staff sat up looking alert. Admiral teReevat rose and called in the security squad leader and the General Staff’s administrative officer from the outer office. The admin officer glanced around and observed the strange looking cadets standing against the far wall. He lifted a single brow and his eyes darted between the children and Admiral teReevat. The two officers faced Admiral teReevat and stood at attention.

“Gentlemen,” Admiral teReevat said in a commanding voice, as he gestured toward Admiral gePetral and Admiral teDanon, “these two admirals have brought new information concerning our recent actions. The General Staff is transferring to their battle group’s flagship. From this point forward, follow their orders exactly, with no deviation.”

The army general added, “These cadets are here because the information involves them and their world.”

“You may return to the outer office until you are called,” Admiral teReevat told them.

Once the two officers left the conference room, Jason made Admiral teReevat list the locations where the government ministers and other leaders were being held. Next, he entered into the command system an order for each of the admirals and the commanders of the battle group’s two flotillas. It authorized them to act on behalf of the General Staff, giving them command of all forces.

When they were done, the members of the General Staff rose from their seats and stood slightly apart and away from everyone else. They switched on their personal communicators and Admiral teDanon nodded at Claire, who telepathically advised Masanja, aboard the flagship, that all was ready.

One by one the General Staff officers dematerialized and were teleported onto the Vartop Nebula into the waiting arms of the security team, who placed them under arrest. The children who had remained onboard maintained mind control over them as the security team led them away to the brig.

Officers and crew alike watched in wonderment at the submissive demeanor of the prisoners as they passed. Placed in the brig and freed from mind control, their demands to be released were ignored.

After the last of the General Staff officers disappeared, Admiral gePetral glanced at the list showing the locations of the imprisoned government officials and hen turned to Jason. “Please have Masanja pass the word to Captains kaTorka and geMilot to initiate the next step.”

Admiral gePetral patted Admiral teDanon on his back. “Spuvi,” he said with a gleeful expression, “we did it—all of us, the children especially.”

As the battle group flotilla commanders materialized in the conference room, the two admirals took the elevator down to the operations center. Admiral gePetral referred the duty officer to his orders and had her transmit a copy to all military units, with a directive ordering all forces to hold their positions and cease hostilities.

He ordered the commander of the local forces on the ground to inform all government officials they were merely in protective custody and would soon be released, whether they were being held under house arrest or at a military installation. They were also to be allowed to contact whomever they wished.

Admiral teDanon instructed local space control to provide clearance for four of their shuttles to land at the public transport station in Government Square. Then, he directed the commander of the daBomak Military Spaceport to permit his shuttle to land and to meet it at the field with his executive officer and security officer.

The Admiral explained that the civilian government officials being held were no longer under arrest and were to be taken to the senior officer’s club where they were to be offered food and allowed to freshen up while awaiting a shuttle to remove them. He followed this call by making similar demands upon the commanders of six military facilities on the home world where senior government officials were being held under guard.

They returned to the conference room. Admiral gePetral called for the security squad leader and the General Staff’s administrative officer to come back in.

Admiral gePetral turned to the squad leader. “Lieutenant, as you can see, the General Staff has transferred to my flagship. These two officers have come down to assist Admiral teDanon and me to complete the negotiations with the government leaders who were taken into protective custody during the recent crisis.

“The four of us, and these cadets, are going down to the public transport station in Government Square to meet the shuttles coming to pick us up. Have your squad ready to escort us. We will join you in a moment.”

“Captain,” Admiral gePetral said to the administrative officer, “you will be in command here until one of us returns. I refer you to the the most recent orders entered on the command system by Admiral teReevat and which we transmitted to all military units. These special orders take precedence over all previous special orders unless we tell you differently. Otherwise, follow the normal standing orders.”

Led by the security squad, they exited the building and began their half-mile trek across the square. Both admirals noted how depressing was the absence of the normal flow of pedestrian traffic. The troops guarding the entrances to each of the government buildings and those at the transport station came to attention as the squad passed by.

Three shuttles hovered nearby. One waited on the platform with two of their own security troops and the normal crew of three on board. One of the officers and two of the children entered. It rose and soon disappeared from sight. The process was repeated until the fourth shuttle picked up Admiral gePetral, Henri and Kamal.

Admiral teDanon’s shuttle landed at the daBomak Military Spaceport. Its commanding officer—a Silkar Space Defense Service captain—her executive officer and security officer were present to meet them when they debarked the shuttle. They stood at attention and saluted Admiral teDanon, who returned the salute and told them to stand at ease.

“Admiral, welcome to daBomak,” the captain proclaimed. “I am glad this crisis has ended. What are your orders?”

Seeing them stare at the two children, Admiral teDanon said, “These young cadets happened to be along as part of a training exercise when the crisis began. They are in my care. Now, Captain, take us to the prime minister.”

The Admiral, his two security troops, the children, and the spaceport’s officers loaded into the hovercraft parked a hundred feet away. Admiral teDanon had only a few minutes to bring the officers up-to-date on the current situation on their way to the officers’ club building. When they arrived, he requested the captain to join them and dismissed the other two officers.

They soon entered the officers’ lounge where Prime Minister kaKinon and her husband, and the home affairs minister and her husband and daughter, were sitting deep in conversation. They were in a corner of the room where the settings of the metaglas windows allowed soft daylight to penetrate, revealing weary, tired faces.

The prime minister’s eyes widened when she saw Admiral teDanon approaching. She and the home affairs minister stood up, their smiles brightening the otherwise dim room. “Admiral, we are very surprised and—I might add—glad to see you. What is happening out there? All we know is we are no longer under arrest.”

The spaceport’s commander shifted on her feet. “Madam Prime Minister,” she nervously interjected, “if you had the impression you were under arrest, I am deeply sorry. It was our understanding you were all in protective custody.”

Prime Minister kaKinon glared at him at first, but being an experienced politician she quickly recovered and smiled. “Thank you for your concern, Captain,” she said sweetly with a touch of sarcasm. “We do appreciate your courtesy and attention to our needs in this crisis.”

Admiral teDanon and the children also smiled at this brief banter. “Madam Prime Minister, I will have time to explain later. For now, suffice it to say the crisis is over and I am here to take you all to Government Center. There is room in the shuttle, but it will be a little crowded. Shall we go?”

They made their way to the hovercraft and saw a second one waiting as well. Admiral teDanon faced the spaceport’s commander. “Captain, I see your officers are on top of things. Thank you for your assistance. We will be on our way now, so you can resume your duties. Follow your standing orders and return the spaceport to normal operations.”

The captain saluted, turned and marched off. Everybody got on the vehicles and was taken to the admiral’s shuttle. On the way, the admiral could not help but notice the covert glances everyone gave the children, who were grinning like clowns and poking each other.

Once aboard—seated in two facing rows along the sides of the cabin—and on their way, Prime Minister kaKinon could hold it in no longer. “Admiral, is it really over? How did you do it? What happened to the General Staff? Is my adviser, Gaspo kaPakar, all right?” She shot out questions rapid-fire like a machine gun before pausing to breathe.

The prime minister noticed the children again and, without giving the admiral a chance to answer, she followed up with, “And what are these Jerithan children—I assume they are Jerithan—doing here . . . dressed as cadets?”

During the explosion of words, Admiral teDanon’s mouth had dropped open, the prime minister’s husband had shrunk against the back of his seat, the rest reacting with stunned looks.

After a brief silent interlude, Prime Minister kaKinon began to chuckle. Then she threw her head back and erupted into laughter. Soon everyone, even the shuttle crew, was laughing boisterously. The laughter finally subsided leaving the former prisoners visibly relaxed, their bodies no longer stiff with tension.

“Oh my, that felt good,” the prime minister confessed, wiping tears from her eyes.

“I do think we all needed that, ma’am. I can give you some answers now. First . . . Adviser kaPakar is fine and is being brought to Government Center.” Her deep sigh was ample evidence of the palpable relief she felt.

Admiral teDanon continued. “The General Staff currently resides in the brig of Admiral gePetral’s flagship. Without the help of these two Jerithan children,” he said with a wave of his hand in their direction, “along with twenty-three others, we might not be here. Now, I want them to introduce themselves. Jason, please begin.”

“Madam Prime Minister,” he stated in perfect Silkaran, “I am called Jason Starkey. My parents and brother are back on Jeritha. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“It . . . it . . . the pleasure . . . is mine, Jason,” Prime Minister kaKinon replied, her eyes wide and brow ridge arched. “But, how did—”

“—we learn to speak your language?” finished the gray-eyed Russian girl with dark brown hair and dimpled cheeks. “Excuse me for interrupting. My name is Tanya Prokasky. We learn quickly, extremely quickly, and are especially adept at languages. I am glad to know you.”

“And I am glad to know you, too, Tanya.” The prime minister said. She turned to Admiral teDanon, with her head cocked. “But how . . . how . . .?”

“Please be patient,” the admiral replied softly. “How we accomplished what we did is a story requiring much more time.”

She sat back in her seat and quiet reigned once more. Two minutes later, they were at the public transportation station in the square of the government center complex. Admiral gePetral’s voice reverberated from loudspeakers announcing the end of the crisis.

When they got to her office, her chief adviser vaulted to his feet and dashed to meet her. They hugged briefly before he grasped the home affairs minister’s hand and shook it vigorously. “Where is your family, Gaspo?” Prime Minister kaKinon inquired.

“They are safe, down in the cafeteria.”

“The families of all the ministers who were picked up today are in the cafeteria,” Admiral teDanon informed them. “They are under the protection of our own security forces. The ministers are being brought to the Council of Ministers’ meeting room. Admiral gePetral and I think we should give you and your ministers a thorough update, introduce these children . . . and the others . . . and then formally restore control of the military forces to civilian authority.”

“Thank you, Admiral,” the prime minister said with a short bow of her head. “That is commendable, and an excellent idea.” She asked her husband and the home affairs minister’s husband and daughter to go down to the cafeteria and join the rest. Then they went to the Council’s meeting room on the fourth floor.

They found Admiral gePetral and most of the government ministers waiting in the rectangular room when they arrived. Only the ministers of defense and environment were missing. The lighting was subdued, but adequate. Above each seat illumination emanated from ceiling lights; the spread, angle and brightness were under each person’s control.

The ministers applauded upon seeing the prime minister, who was followed by her chief adviser and the home affairs minister. Admiral teDanon and all 25 children came in next. Finally, Captains kaTorka and geMilot and the four Human adults entered.

The prime minister took her seat at the center of the crescent-shaped table with seating for seventeen. Twelve ministers were arrayed to her left and right. The admirals, their executive officers and the Humans occupied all thirty chairs in the gallery’s three rows, on both sides of the center aisle. Three children sat in folding chairs brought in for the occasion.

Prime Minister kaKinon shook the traditional assembly rattle. “The meeting of this extraordinary session of the Silkar Council of Ministers is called to order. Let the date and time be recorded. We are here to accomplish several things as quickly as possible.

“First, Admirals gePetral and teDanon of the Silkar Space Defense Service will highlight for us the events leading up to the attempted overthrow of the government by the General Staff and the restoration of the civilian government by forces these two valiant admirals led.

“I have noticed your eyes wandering to those Jerithans in the gallery. We are all curious to find out what they are doing here.” She paused and faced the gallery. “We are going to learn about this are we not, Admiral gePetral?”

“Yes, ma’am, you definitely will,” the admiral declared from the gallery.

The prime minister resumed. “Next, we will create a special commission to investigate, document and report on the details of these events, as well as recommend the punishment to be meted out to the General Staff and other officers who are culpable in their attempt to depose the government.

“Finally, I will appoint a subcommittee of this body tasked to provide, by the end of next week, a list of officers to be considered as replacements for those now serving on the General Staff. Now, let us hear from Admiral gePetral. Admiral, please come down and be seated at the witness table.”

The admiral marched from his front row seat in the gallery through the gate in the hip-high barrier separating it from the council to sit at the table located at the wide opening of the minister’s table.

“Madam Prime Minister, ministers. I must give credit where credit is due. Admiral teDanon is more responsible than I for recognizing the problem and then gathering the support necessary to defend the government.

“Without the participation of the Jerithan children you see before you, proudly wearing Silkaran Space Defense Service cadet uniforms, the arrest of the General Staff and the restoration of the civilian government probably would have required a bloody civil war. These facts will soon become evident.”

He took a sip of water and then, for three-quarters of an hour, read—in a commanding voice and without interruption—remarks he had quickly drafted.

During his statement, ministers shot one another looks of amazement. Once he finished, the ministers were bursting with anger over the audacity of the General Staff and at the obvious contempt in which its members held the rule of law and civilian authority.

Prime Minister kaKinon asked for silence and shook the assembly rattle. When she got their attention again, she presented the list of the officials to be considered for the special Military Sedition Commission Gaspo kaPakar, her chief adviser, had slipped to her. After a short debate and a few changes, they approved a membership list and assigned someone to draft the appropriate documents establishing the commission.

The prime minister appointed several ministers to the subcommittee to select nominees for the new General Staff. She promoted, temporarily until they could be ratified, a number of senior officers who had supported the government.

Admiral gePetral was advanced to first admiral and appointed as acting chief of the General Staff. She then elevated Admiral teDanon from sub-admiral to admiral and assigned him to represent Silkar on the League of Worlds Joint Military Commission. Captains geMilot and kaTorka were each promoted to acting sub-admiral and given command of the Eighteenth Independent Battle Group and the Fifth Fleet, respectively.

“At our regular meeting tomorrow, we will discuss my proposals to meet with a delegation from Jeritha to discuss establishing a relationship between our two civilizations and to prepare a recommendation to the League of Worlds’ executive council for Jeritha to be given a non-voting membership in the league.

“I want to express our deepest gratitude to these admirals and to the Jerithans who risked so much to save the government.” She and all the ministers rose as one and applauded the gallery. As the applause died down, she said, “Thank you all. Now, I am exhausted. Let us get out of here and go to our homes. This meeting is—thankfully—adjourned.”

Before they left, Prime Minister kaKinon called the home affairs minister and Admiral gePetral to her side. “Please stay a little longer and make certain all officials who were unjustly arrested or otherwise detained are freed and taken home.” She stifled a yawn and told her chief adviser to call a press conference for the next day and schedule time for her and Admiral gePetral to make statements to the Chamber of Deputies at their next meeting.

She walked to the gallery and promised the Humans she would meet with a delegation from Earth in one month to discuss how and when it would be best to establish formal relations. She also warned them not to expect a lot. “The league’s executive council could sanction us for Silkar’s actions against Jeritha, which might affect the willingness of league members to listen to the arguments we make on your behalf.”

Mack still acted as the Human’s spokesperson. He had learned to speak Silkaran in a rudimentary fashion and was helped by Jason who translated for him as required. “After all that has happened, do you seriously think they would not grant your request to give us fair treatment and a say in our own fate?”

“Some members will probably support us,” the prime minister replied. “But, this situation is unprecedented. The league charter requires its members to refrain from communicating with worlds which have not already achieved interstellar flight. The league may decide to forbid further contact between us for now.”

“How likely is that?” Mack inquired with an edge of concern in his voice.

“A definite possibility,” she replied. “But let us not speculate. We will do the best we can to convince them.”

Mack looked puzzled. “Then is it not premature for you to meet with our delegation and discuss relations between our two worlds? Why raise the hopes of our people?”

“We owe it to you to try,” she answered. “We will present the league with an already extant formal relationship between us and explain it was necessary so we could make reparations to Earth. I intend to point out how much you all risked to save our government despite what we had done to you. Perhaps they will recognize the potential of Earth and accept our proposal.”

“I guess it is something to hope for,” Mack said.

“Yes, hope is good,” the prime minister agreed, “and I am truly optimistic.” She opened her arms to encompass all the Humans present. “Thank you all very much for everything. You will be made comfortable and then be on your way home very soon.”

Prime Minister kaKinon gave several days leave to the crews of the Eighteenth Independent Battle Group. This gave the Humans time to relax and see some sights before Admiral geMilot returned them to Earth.

After a good night’s sleep on board the Rostvar Cluster, and a filling breakfast, the crew began their leave rotation and the Humans met in Ready Room One. The children split into four groups, each one chaperoned by an adult Human. They were given one tablet apiece that served as a personal computer, communications device and credit payment recorder preloaded with the rough equivalent of 300 U.S. dollars for expenses. The groups boarded separate shuttles and journeyed to the main transportation hub in the capital city of Cor Velot.

After exiting the shuttle, each group was met by a guide and a protection detail of two security officers assigned by the home affairs minister. The groups, depending on their preferences, went their separate ways to shop for souvenirs, find entertainment, hike in the nearby foothills, or visit museums and art galleries. At the end of each day’s excursions, they would rendezvous back aboard the spacecraft carrier.

The prime minister assigned Gaspo kaPakar to go to Jeritha and hold preliminary meetings with its representatives. She also asked him to have a list prepared of government loyalists and citizens who had been killed during the attempted overthrow. Prime Minister kaKinon or a government minister would talk to their immediate families and express the government’s sorrow for their loss and, where appropriate, gratitude for their sacrifice.

Several days after the failed coup attempt, the entire battle group left for Earth. On the trip home, in a small formal ceremony, the newly appointed sub-admiral awarded the Medal of Distinction to each of the children and the Medal of Merit to the four Human military men on behalf of the government and people of Silkar, as directed by the prime minister.

The vessels arrived on station in Earth’s system, early on Thursday, the seventh of October. Mack informed Dennis Murphy about recent events and he spread the word to the directors of the three schools. Soon after, the families of all the Humans on the mission to Silkar were notified of their imminent homecoming in early morning darkness.

Mack and the other three adults had shed their Silkaran military uniforms and packed them in their duffels. The children, however, actually marched off the shuttles wearing their cadet uniforms and medals, and were given jubilant receptions celebrating a triumphant return to their schools. They were welcomed as heroes; the only thing missing was a parade. Most of their parents arrived to meet them, and where that proved too difficult, the phone lines were abuzz.

The foundation had a lot to present at its Sunday members meeting. Those unable to be present at their children’s school participated by videoconference. Mack joined in from the Discovery Bay school before returning home to his anxious wife and daughter. Jason, Claire, and Kamal represented the children.

Dennis brought the meeting to order. Mack described the events of the previous three weeks: the takeover of the Operation Chaos Flotilla, the coup d’état by the Silkaran General Staff, the subsequent restoration of the government and its first post-coup meeting.

“And there you have it,” Mack said, “except for one item needing further discussion. Jason, do you or the other children have anything to add?”

“Just, . . . well . . . it was all awfully exciting. We learned that they are a lot like us, except for their appearance. We’re very glad we could help.”

“Thank you both.” Dennis stifled a chuckle. “What was that last item, Mack?”

“To paraphrase a line from that old Godfather movie, their prime minister made us an offer we can’t refuse. Actually, two offers. She wants to establish an official relationship between her government and Earth’s and is willing to promote our non-voting membership in the League of Worlds. The prime minister wants to meet with a delegation from Earth in under four weeks. Her chief adviser is on the ship that brought us home and is available to talk with us, if you agree.”

“Thanks again,” Dennis said. “It seems like, for the last year or so, we have gone from one time crunch and crisis to another. Earth is at a crossroad with great opportunities being presented to us. We should talk about this now, and include Adviser . . . what’s his name?”

Jason, anxious to participate, interjected, “Gaspo kaPakar.”

“Right. Well, we are bound to have questions he can probably answer. Any discussion . . .?” Getting no response, he called for a vote, which was unanimous in favor of including Adviser kaPakar. “Mack, please link him in and we’ll discuss their proposals.”

“Wait a minute, please,” Jason said. “Peter and the kids who were most familiar with our AutoTran software, have been updating the database and the software to include Silkaran translations. Peter just told me they completed the upload to the flagship’s computer system and the communications system is now tied in with it. This means we can speak directly to Adviser kaPakar without anyone having to translate.”

“Well, you children never cease to amaze me,” Dennis declared. He nodded to Mack. “Link him in.”

In less than a minute, Gaspo kaPakar’s communicator was connected and he was introduced to the foundation’s board.

“Sir, how big a delegation are we talking about?” Munir Ben Nafi wanted to know.

“To begin with, a maximum of five,” Adviser kaPakar answered.

“This has now gone far beyond the foundation,” the Italian who managed the foundation’s Accounting Department insisted. “We need to involve Earth’s governments.”

“There are no national governments we can trust sufficiently to speak on behalf of all of us,” the Indian international lawyer asserted. “The foundation is more representative of all the peoples of the Earth than any one country.”

“It’s time to involve the United Nations, specifically the secretary-general,” Howard Starkey suggested. “The UN is the one governmental body that can speak for Earth.”

“Our prime minister would prefer to work with some official delegation with the authority to represent all your people. The League of Worlds would insist on it,” Adviser kaPakar said. “Does this United Nations know anything of us, even that we exist?”

“We’re not sure,” Dennis answered. “The foundation has not been in touch with it.”

“As an intelligence officer,” Mack added, “I’ve had the opportunity to look into what is known regarding extraterrestrial visitations. Three nations: Germany, Russia and the United States, have incontrovertible evidence of them. At least two others have some knowledge, but I am aware of no other governments, including the United Nations, that know anything beyond the rumors they’ve heard.”

“And can this United Nations be considered your world government?” Adviser kaPakar wanted to know.

“It is a supranational governmental body and the only organization in a position to represent Earth.”

By a unanimous vote, the board authorized Dennis Murphy and Munir Ben Nafi to send a letter from the foundation to the UN secretary-general requesting an opportunity to bring a group of children from eight continents to meet with her when they visit New York soon. The letter would briefly describe the foundation and the schools, but merely say the children were child prodigies with exceedingly high intellects. Munir promised to have the letter hand delivered by the Moroccan UN ambassador.

“All right,” Dennis said, “let’s discuss the offer of non-voting membership in the League of Worlds.”

“Dr. Murphy, may I say something?” Adviser kaPakar asked. Getting a go-ahead, the adviser continued. “I believe Earth will be lucky to get observer status at this point. The executive council may allow us to represent your interests. However, Silkar may be sanctioned and have little credibility left to persuade the council to approve Earth’s delegation.”

“Sanctioned, why?” Dennis wondered out loud, with a puzzled expression. “It was your military that violated the league’s charter, as well as its executive council resolution.”

“True, but we should have maintained better control of our military.” Adviser kaPakar’s voice was as dry as a desert wind. “It should never have gone as far as it did. We do not know how the league will react. But our prime minister can be very persuasive and you do have a strong case.”

The board reached consensus and adopted a resolution to support whatever resulted from the delegation’s meeting with the Silkaran prime minister.

“Now to the question of the delegation,” Dennis said. “Once the UN is involved, it will most likely be . . . hmm . . . out of our hands.”

“We should try to include a member of our board in the delegation,” Mack suggested.

“Yes, and maybe one or two of the children,” Kamal added.

“Sorry, Kamal.” Dennis commiserated. “Now that the alien threat has been removed, we need to establish a normal relationship. I think this is one time where political negotiating skills will be required, and we don’t want to give anyone reason to doubt our good will or question whether or not they can trust us. The presence of even one of the children might make them fear we are attempting to manipulate them.”

“Since the children did so much for Silkar,” Adviser kaPakar said, “I do not believe the prime minister would have such a concern. I certainly would not. However, I cannot speak for all the ministers who may, at some point, participate in negotiations. It might be best to leave the children out of it. At least for now.”

Dennis put a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “Jason, if you and the other children have serious issues with this or feel it is particularly important to participate, please tell us. But you do understand this situation don’t you?”

Jason held up both hands and said, “Please wait a moment.” His eyes glazed over for under thirty seconds while he conferred with a number of the children. He rolled his eyes and sighed. “Yes, we do understand and agree to keep out of it unless we’re needed. But, it won’t be easy after being in the thick of it and all.”

Adviser kaPakar indicated a wish to speak and was acknowledged. “The children should be rewarded for all they have done. I am sure we can arrange for those who qualify to study at our universities, but no courses that could help Earth develop interstellar travel prematurely.”

“Thank you for that wonderful offer, Adviser. I’m sure we can identify children who are ready for such an important step.”

Adviser kaPakar promised to provide a hypno-tutor system for each of the three schools. Another fifteen minutes of discussion concluded the meeting and connections were terminated.

Karen Pacheco got Jason’s attention, though he remained in telepathic communication with Claire and Kamal. “For five years all you children have been under tremendous stress and taken on a lot of responsibility.”

“But there’s so much we need to do,” Jason said. “Phil Demakis informed those of us who had gone to Silkar about what happened with Henry Charles. Claire just reminded me about Jagathi Servai in India and Eduardo Velêz in Brazil, who we now know got their trackers removed and then disappeared. They never joined us and are not responding to our attempts to contact them. We are trying to monitor them, but they have resisted us so far. We think they are causing trouble, but have been unable to find out for certain what they’re doing.”

“Jason, few if any of you have taken enough time to be kids,” Dr. Murphy said. “As strong as you all are, you still need to go through a period of emotional development that generally happens through the normal childhood growth and maturation processes.”

Karen smiled. “Please listen to me,” she counseled. “Each of you children need to finish your education and training, and therapy to help you develop emotionally, before you are ready to completely integrate into adult society and take on so many responsibilities.”

“Give it some time,” Dennis advised. “Take a rest. All of you have earned it.”

“But,” Dr. Pacheco added, “we know you need to deal with Jagathi and Eduardo, and help us with the United Nations. Your schedules will have to accommodate these efforts.”

“Yeah, and we can handle it,” Jason insisted.

Three days after the Moroccan ambassador delivered the letter to the UN secretary-general, Munir received the invitation they’d anxiously awaited: the meeting was arranged. He immediately called Dennis. “It’s on. Get the children ready for New York.”

“That’s wonderful, Munir. It looks like we’ll have a delegation ready to leave for Silkar on schedule. It’s good to have something to plan for instead of against.”

Over the days following the meeting between the foundation and Gaspo kaPakar, the children discussed among themselves the issues facing them. They agreed the arguments their doctors and parents had presented made sense, and despite the many exciting tasks they had yet to complete, now it was appropriate for them to take time for introspection—to truly discover themselves and learn more about each other.

The children were confident their most critical issue had been resolved: the alien threat was over. When called upon, they would be ready to assist the foundation’s leaders with getting the United Nations involved and—at some point—face the lingering matter of the problem children in Brazil and India.

It was Zahra, however, who posed a question that gave them pause. “I wonder what our children will be like. And . . . are we the next step in Human evolution?”

Yuriko added a more sobering thought. “Maybe. If . . . if we survive long enough.”

“Huh, what do you mean?” Jason asked.

“Nothing I suppose,” Yuriko replied. “I was just remembering how I was treated by my own people in Japan, how mean people can be. And don’t forget what almost happened to Masanja, and the terrible things some have been saying about Little-C.”

“Yeah,” Peter threw in, “when the world learns about the extraterrestrials . . . and our paranormal abilities, how will people react?”

Jason took Yuriko’s hand. “Well, I guess we have interesting times ahead.”