DISCLAIMER: None what so ever. This is an original work. So all of it is mine, mine, mine!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a Science-Fiction story, but before you assume (since I write Star Trek Voyager fiction mostly) no, this story is not Star Trek based. In fact, it's based on no movie/series or the likes. The only thing this is based on is my imagination. Did others have the same idea before me, I don't know. All I can say is that I wrote this while not even thinking of other established entities like Star Trek, or Star Wars, or Babylon 5, or name your favorite show. And last but not least: My undying gratitude goes to Jo for betaing this work of fiction. Since Word is so nice to put red lines under misspelled words, her work is made extra hard because my spelling mistakes are not literally mistakes as such, but more words used in the wrong place (saw Vs. was) and other pesky things like punctuation. So, a double dose of thanks goes to her for her very appreciated work.
SETTING: Centuries in the future. But I tried to keep sci-tech 'realistic.' Meaning, yes, they have faster than light flight, yes they have laser weapons, no they don't beam down to a planet, no they don't have holographic people running around.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
CHALLENGE: Written for Epic Proportions 2009.
The Danmun Alliance
By H.W.
Chapter 6
There hung a heavy silence in the office. Namfos was sitting behind her desk while Jane sat in front of it.
"Could you repeat that for me?" The Terelanian finally said.
"I said that I have nothing to report."
Namfos leaned back in her chair, only to lean forward again and put her elbows on the desk. "Before we got in here you told me that you had personal contact with them. That they held you prisoner for more than a week. That you managed to escape. And now you tell me that you know nothing?"
"I didn't say that I know nothing. I actually know a lot. I said that I have nothing to report and that's true."
Namfos leaned back in her chair and took some time to think. Then she leaned forward again and asked, "Then can you tell me why?"
"Sure. First of all because I gave my word that I would not let anyone know in any way about what I found out."
Jane prevented Namfos from speaking up by lifting her hand. "But on my way here I had a lot of time to think. First I wanted to keep my word. But then I decided that the information I had was important enough to break my word to someone for the first time since I was a child. But you see, my journey to this base still wasn't over and I still had time to think."
"Go on," Namfos merely said.
"I started to wonder why they let me go, for they did. I escaped, but then they let me go. Since I gave my word that I wouldn't use them I didn't try it, but I'm willing to bet that none of my weapons work. In fact, why don't you have that checked before someone tries to use those weapons and they fail? But as I said, I just know that they aren't working. Now I ask you; if they deactivated my weapons, why not my Fighter? Let's think a little further along that line. I didn't just have weapons that they might already have copies of because of Fighters they managed to get before. No, I had a brand new weapon with me. Now, chances are that they had no idea just what the potential was from that box attached to my fighter. But don't you think that it would have made a lot more sense to take that unknown weapon and study it? But no, they left it. So if you strip all else away, letting me go was more important than studying a new weapon. Why?"
Jane paused before saying softly, "Namfos, I consider you one of my best friends, if not 'the' best friend. But even you know that I would have to kill you, and would, if you were to go to the enemy with all the information you have about the Union. But with them I was the enemy. They gave an enemy, me, a lot of information and then they just let me go. I don't trust it. Something must be fishy about the information they gave me."
"Why don't you let us be the judge of that?"
"Because... I think that the Union will be damaged by the information I have if the army top gets it in their hands. I don't want that. So I hide behind my conviction that one should never break ones word."
Namfos was quiet for at least five heavy and long minutes before she shook her head. "I have to report this, you know that. When I report it they'll question you, you know that as well. If you don't tell them all they want to know they'll use a mind scan on you, you know that as well. At the end of that, you'll be nothing more than a vegetable and that you know too. So, my question is; why the hell have you told me that you have important information instead of just keeping your damn mouth shut?"
"Honest?"
"Oh, please. I don't think I can deal with your funny crap right now."
"What I saw is very important, no question about it. But the problem is that I'm tainted. I know that something is wrong about the information I have. So... I leave it to someone else to decide if they want that information, and what they're willing to do to get it."
"I'm going to report this now," Namfos said shaking her head once more. "You're to go to your temporarily quarters until someone comes to bring you back. You are dismissed."
Jane knew that she had just gotten an order from a general instead of a suggestion from a friend. She stood and left the room without another word.
A little more than two hours later Jane was standing in front of Namfos' desk again. Namfos didn't speak but pointed to the chair, indicating that Jane should sit down. When Jane was sitting, Namfos pushed a button that activated the two by two meter wall screen. Immediately the screen was filled with the head and upper body of the general who had sent Jane on her mission.
"Ah, Captain," The general said. "General Namfos told me about your mission. Unfortunate, truly unfortunate. I thought that if any of our pilots could reach the enemy territory, it had to be you. I was truly surprised to find out that you of all people flew against a mine in the no-man's-land. But, there we have it. You're really lucky that you were able to crash land on a life supporting planet. And especially that a freighter came by after a week that picked up your emergency signal."
The general stopped talking and it was clear that he was waiting for a reaction from Jane.
"Well, um. Yeah, you can't imagine how glad I was to finally see a rescue team."
"Really?" The general asked surprised. "General Namfos told me that you actually liked your time on the planet."
"Tha, um, well, that's right," Jane stammered thinking of an answer. "But, you see, I am and always will be, a pilot. I only feel at my best when I'm sitting in a Fighter seat."
"I know what you mean, I was a pilot myself once. Well, I have things to do. We still have to decide what we're going to do next. This could take a couple of days. Until we know what we're going to do, you're assigned to General Namfos' base. Until we have new orders for you, good luck on your new base."
The General looked at Namfos and said to her, "General, until we meet again."
The general disappeared from the screen and Jane looked back at Namfos. "Thanks. I know that this wasn't an easy choice."
"When we were at the academy you saved my life during that explosion," Namfos said in a flat tone. "I never had a chance to pay you back, until now. We're even now. I paid my debt to you today."
Jane nodded her head. She remembered only too well how she and Namfos had agreed that the event would not enter their friendship. They had met at an explosion in the science lab, and both of them thought that it would be a mistake to start their friendship off by Namfos owing Jane for her life. That Namfos went back on that agreement now meant that Namfos had grasped at the last straw she could find. That straw had proven strong enough to prevent Jane from living the rest of her life as a vegetable. Now Jane wondered how damaged that straw was.
"Then I have one more question for you. Is it still Namfos, or is it General Namfos from now on?"
Namfos needed a few minutes time to think about that. "It's Namfos," She finally said. "But just barely. Pull something like that again, and I won't be around to cover your ass."
"You won't have to, I give you my word on that."
Namfos sighed and raked her hands through her hair. "You're a fucking ass cunt, you know that? I'm this close to coming around this desk and beating the living crap out of you... if I could."
"I would let you," Jane assured. "I have a pretty good feeling that I know what I put you through. I'm sorry. I'm just... sorry."
Namfos suddenly stood up and started pacing behind the desk. "Fine, in that case, are you interested in joining my family and me for dinner?"
"I wouldn't miss it for anything."
"Jane?"
"Yes?"
"You're one damn crazy bitch who needs to have her head examined, you know that?"
Jane laughed. "Yeah, but you love me anyway."
Namfos shook her head. "Come one, let's get out of here."
"How about we head to a training room first?" Jane suggested. "You're close to hitting something; it should be the thing that actually deserves to be hit. Besides, I could do with a training partner that won't hold back."
Finally Namfos smiled. "Deal."
Alenador sat in her deskchair looking out of the window that didn't just give a beautiful view over a light red/purple tinted horizon, but also on the inner square of the building complex.
It was the most important building complex on the planet; the military head quarters. The main building itself existed out of forty-five floors above ground and one hundred and thirty floors below ground. All of the square buildings of the complex formed a kind of circle, made out of square blocks with only one inner corner of one building touching the inner corner of the other building; leaving wedges between the buildings on the outside of the circle. Those had been quickly filled up by people that had small stalls there and catered to the people that were working in the buildings. Over the years the stalls changed depending on popular tastes in food and fashion. But in general it was so normal for there to be stalls that they were considered a part of the complex as a whole. The main building was the biggest building of the circle.
On both sides of the main building the buildings got smaller with each one until the two sides met on the other side of the square at the hangar building. The hangar building was four floors above, and thirteen floors underground. Fifty Fighters were permanently stationed there, just like their pilots. Beside the hangar was the building where amongst other things Union soldiers were normally prepared for release into the community. The other cells were there as well, the kind where Alenador and Jane had spent almost a week together. And also the kind from which Jane managed to escape.
Alenador had the same office the three General Supremes before her had, located on the top floor of the main building. Alenador always had mixed feelings about the building complex. At one point a General Supreme had decided to centralize the military heart of the society and the building complex had been created. Bringing together the functions of buildings that had been located around the planet and joining them all in this one building complex in the capitol city. When the complex had been built, the whole city had to adapt to it. Buildings had to be razed. Roads had to be redrawn. Parks had to be created in different places. Buildings had to be built to house all the people who were going to work in the complex.
And all of it had never really been necessary. The buildings that had been used before had functioned just fine. The only difference was now people could walk from one building to the other if they had business there. Whereas before, they would have traveled up to one hour, at most, with the planetary transport system.
But from the other side, the architect had truly created a masterpiece of design. Alenador always loved the way the day light was caught in the reflective windows of the buildings and bounced continuously back and forth between them, always changing slightly to reflect the color of the sky.
Suddenly the door signal sounded, indicating that someone was at the door. Alenador frowned, she wasn't expecting anyone; had she forgotten an appointment? "Enter."
The door opened and slowly an old man shuffled into the office. When Alenador saw who had come to see her, she quickly got out of her chair and moved to his side.
"You shouldn't be walking around without suspension generators," Alenador said in a mild scolding tone.
"Arrrg," The mane merely growled.
Alenador smiled. "And I see that you've lost nothing of your famous friendliness."
She guided the man to the chair she had been sitting in and sat down on the desk before adding concerned, "But I can also see that you're not feeling well. Should I send for a doctor?"
"Never you mind child. It's just the old age. Let's see how you feel when you get to my age."
"I'll be happy if I even make your age, forget about the running around that you still do." Alenador agreed, knowing that the old man was actually one of the oldest Danfi on the planet.
"The time of me 'running' has passed decades ago, my child." The man was quiet for a moment and took his time to look at Alenador.
"What?" She finally asked.
"Nothing child. I see you about once every three weeks, but I never really saw what a beautiful woman you turned out to be."
Alenador lowered her eyes and blushed a little while the man continued.
"It's such a shame that you hide yourself behind your work. You should be out there breaking young men's hearts."
"Women," Alenador corrected mildly.
"Men, women, doesn't matter. Fact is that you should be out there, not in here."
"There's a lot of work to do,"
"There is no work to do but the work you make yourself," The man countered. "You know, despite you turning into such a lovely woman, I still can see the lines in your face of that cocky fourteen year old girl. I asked for the best pilot they had, and they sent me a child."
"Ah, but that child proved to you more than enough just what kind of a pilot she was."
"That you did," The man agreed. "As cocky as you were, you did have the abilities to back up that cockiness. I saw such potential in you, and then you go and disobey my order."
"I saved your life that day," Alenador countered immediately. "By attacking instead of averting, the enemy thought that we were just one of many Fighters and didn't rate us a second glance when we were apparently drifting helpless in space. And what do you do the second we land here? You sent me to the toughest military academy there is."
"You disobeyed a direct order of the General Supreme, I couldn't let that go unpunished. You can be glad that sending you to that academy is all I did. Besides, I might have seen potential in you, but you were way too rough, wild, and reckless, to ever make a good leader. You needed the right Danfies to give direction to your life."
"That, I must agree, they did."
"Oh yeah," The old man said as he nodded his head. "When you left the academy you had totally changed. You were calm, polite, good with the troops, but as devastating as a comet if needed. The leadership abilities radiated from you. So much so that even Danfies with higher ranks than you listened when you spoke. It was then that I knew that you'd be the perfect one to take my place. I just didn't think that you'd move through the ranks so fast that I could name you my successor when you were just twenty-five years old."
"I'm glad that you could. You needed the rest."
"Four years. You're General Supreme for four years now and you've already done more than many General Supreme before you, including me."
"Me? I don't know what you're talking about."
"Child, what did I achieve in my time as General Supreme? I made the unwieldy army machine a little looser, at best. Made it a little stronger and more multifunctional. It took me sixty years as General Supreme to do that. And you? You're here a mere four years and you've changed our army and our attack strategies so much that we do a lot more damage to the enemy while sustaining a lot less casualties ourselves. You know that the troops adore you?" The man asked in the same breath.
"Adore me?" Alenador asked with a laugh.
"Okay, maybe adore is the wrong word, but I doubt it is. Let me ask you something, what's the worst you've ever heard someone say about you. Either directly or in a roundabout way? Well?"
Alenador thought for a moment but couldn't really think of anything.
After a few moments of silence the man continued, "The worst I ever heard is the famous 'sandpit general,' and even you must see the humor in that. You're the third youngest General Supreme in Danfi history, and yet... Never has a single one of your orders been questioned. Even if a plan went wrong nobody says, 'see'. No, from your first order as General Supreme the troops were saying, 'what a great idea, it's about time they finally started to do that.' And if a plan didn't work they said, 'it's a shame that we lost those people, but it certainly was worth a try'. I'm going to tell you something now that I know I can tell you since you don't suffer from grand delusion. You, my child, are the most beloved General Supreme since Danfieridon."
Alenador stood up and said in a tone that was a perfect mix between shy, surprised, and scolding, "That's enough, Danfieridon was the best General Supreme that ever existed. Rumor has it that he was even a descendent of a half son of Danfi himself. You don't honor him by comparing me with him; I'm not even worthy of standing in his shadow."
"Child, you have eyes in your head, but you don't use them. Look around you. There are a few elements in our society that would love to get rid of the General Supreme position. But you could walk into their homes and they would not even think about hurting you. They know that who ever comes after you, will be worse for the population. You're the best option they have, and they know it. But, let us talk about something else," The old man suddenly said.
Alenador was starting to see that this was turning out to be more than just a conversation. Even though the former Admiral Supreme was a very old man, his mind was still sharp and he was not the kind to bring up the past time and time again... at least not without a reason. So why was he doing so now?
"Have you been in your Fighter lately?" He asked.
"Not as much as I would like lately, no."
"Make time for it my child. Soldiers fight fiercer if they know that their orders are coming from someone who knows what it's like on the front instead of a desk jockey." The old man was happy to see that Alenador immediately stood up for her soldiers.
"My soldiers always give their best, no matter where the order comes from. The day that my soldiers don't give their best anymore, is the day that I resign from my post."
"Easy. I'm glad to see that conviction, and I also think that it's true. You don't just have the support of the army, but also of the civilians. It's not often that a General Supreme knows up front that their orders will be done without any complaining from either side."
"What are you getting at?" Alenador finally asked. "This isn't a conversation, this is a prelude."
"You're right," The man agreed. "There's something I'd like to talk about. But before I do, I want to make it clear that you're the General Supreme, and I'm just an old man."
"Of course, that's the decision you made when you transferred your command to me. Even though I'm glad that I still could, and can, rely on you for advice whenever I need it."
"And I'm glad that you've turned out to be someone who's not too proud to ask for advice."
"As it says in the old texts; only dead commanders have no advisors. I've always been willing to listen to the opinions of the people who have been in the commanding business longer than me, and I'd be plain stupid to not take in the advice of someone that was already commanding long before I was even born."
"Right. Well, I just came from the death ceremony of my grandson. He was brave and strong but after six months he finally succumbed to the head trauma he suffered."
"And now you want revenge?" Alenador asked doubtfully.
"No, not that. It was a fair fight and potential revenge feelings are taken away by the knowledge that he shot five of them down before being shot down himself. No, what I'm talking about is that this war has been going on too long; caused too many deaths. I'm asking this now because I know I don't have that much time left. You know I have to have those damn doctors tinker with me every day. Before you say something, yes, they're doing a good job. It's just that they can't stop the inevitable. I just wanted to make sure I asked you. Try to make an end to this war during your time as General Supreme."
"The offensive is,"
"Yes, yes, yes. I know about the offensive. But we also had offensives during my time. Offensives are a part of war and every new General Supreme tries at least one big offensive. But 'till now none of them succeeded in ending the war. I... look, what I'm trying to say is this. I know that you'll never lose the wellbeing of the Danfi out of your eyes, and because of that I know I can ask you confidently; I don't care how, but stop the killings."
Alenador was once again sitting and looking out of the window, but now it was night and the inner square was lit up by beam lights on the top of the buildings. The conversation with the old man wouldn't let go of her. He had left several hours before, but she still could hear his words, 'stop the killings'.
"I would love to," She said out loud. "But how? The only way I see is for us to win this war. Ironic, isn't it? More killings to stop the killings."
The door signal sounded, letting her know that someone was standing in front of the door. She turned to check the time piece on the desk and knew who was standing on the other side; her ten o'clock appointment. She turned her chair around again and looked out of the window. She saw people move across the inner square as if they were little insects moving back and forth.
"Enter," She said, her commanding tone firmly back in place in her voice. Alenador kept her back to the door and the person entering until they were standing in front of her desk. Finally she slowly turned around and looked at the man. She gave him a smile. "Mister President, please sit down. What can I do for you?"
"I have a few points to discuss," The President said while sitting down slowly and thoughtfully.
'And one more,' Alenador thought. 'He asks for an appointment and then he starts talking about all but the real point. Why can't they simply come in here and say, "look, this is the problem, what are we going to do about it?" No, they think they need to talk me up.'
As Alenador assumed, almost feared, it was more than one hour before the President finally came to the point, after talking about basically nothing at all.
"And the irrigation project on Idon is on schedule. If we continue like this the project will be ready in twenty-five years."
"What? Twenty-five years? Those activities can be done and over with in five years, you call that being on schedule?"
"You know how it is. We can't find the right Danfi for the job, and something as simple as applying for a new machine or something like that, takes two, three, months and ten, twenty, hours of desk work."
"As far as I know you're the President, put some exemption on the project, or think up some emergency law."
"If it was that easy, I would have already done it. But the problem is that with most projects a long road to completion is good and prevents mistakes from happening. But this time it results in a long time for the project. If I make some special law I'll set doors wide open. People will want to use the same laws for the projects they're working on."
"I see," Alenador said thoughtfully. Then she smiled. "Would it help if I turned it in to a military project?"
The President sat up straighter when he heard her question. He had hoped on a little military help with cutting through some of the red tape. But he couldn't have dreamed of it becoming a full military project. "Are you serious? Of course it would help."
"Yeah. I think that it would be a good idea," Alenador said more to herself than to the President. "We always have problems keeping the practicing troops busy if they aren't at the front. I think they would appreciate a project like this instead of spending their time on training for the war. It'll give them something else to think about for a while. Yeah. Starting tomorrow this will be a military project, class... let's see... three. As soon as you have things prepared the first soldiers will arrive within one week."
"This will make people on Idon happy," The President said relieved.
'And not just on Idon,' Alenador thought while asking with her friendly smile, "Anything else?"
"Yes. There's a proposal from the high council."
As soon as the President started to talk about the high council instead of 'us' or 'I,' Alenador knew that the President himself was very against the proposal.
"The high council heard that a Human didn't only succeed in fleeing from this complex, but even from the planet. Is that correct?"
"It is, more or less," Alenador said while her smile disappeared and an expression settled on her face that made the President glad he was against the proposal as well.
"The high council, so not me, wants to use this event as a reason to take a closer look at the rights the Humans have here. They think that the Humans have too many rights right now and want to bring those back to pretty much the point where Humans will be nothing more than second rank civilians. They also want to get rid of the Humans' right to call themselves Danfi. Not just for the new cases, mind you. No, especially the old cases. New cases would never be able to get another status other than that of POW."
Alenador had kept looking at the President while he told his story, almost absently tapping her fingers on the desk.
'Does she want to agree with this?' He thought because Alenador kept quiet for so long. 'No, I simply can't imagine her doing that.'
"And what do you think of this?" Alenador finally asked. Even before she was finished talking he knew that he was right with his assumption.
'By Danfi, I never heard that tone before.' While thinking that he saw how light yellow her eyes had become. 'Oh, man. Am I glad I'm on her side this time.'
"Well?"
"As I said, this is a proposal from the high council. I personally don't support this at all. Normally I wouldn't even bother you with this and simply use my veto to throw it out. But they warned me not to do this. They told me that they would let it come down to a government crisis and then they would throw me out to then get rid of the President's office altogether. From research I know that the Humans are just as much an integrated part of our society as the other Union species that we captured. I think they just focus on Humans because Humans are most often used as pilots, and therefore make up the largest percentage of the Union soldiers we capture. Almost nobody in our society thinks that they have too many rights or want to take those rights away. I think that the high council is driving this so high to have an excuse to take the leadership of our society."
Alenador knew that the President wouldn't dare to lie to her so she didn't doubt his word for a second, especially since he confirmed what she already had suspected. After all, she wouldn't be a good General Supreme if she didn't have eyes and ears in all levels of society.
"They really think that they can get away with this, do they?" She said softly to herself before saying louder, "Mister President, you and I don't normally agree on much. I've spent many an hour listening to you in long discussions you know I hate. But I can always fully trust your research. So, let me ask you a question. Is there something that requires the presence of the high council in the near future?"
As the politician he was, the President started to answer the, for him, strange question slowly, "Well, that depends on what's put on the,"
"Well?!" Alenador suddenly asked with a raised voice that startled the President.
"Uhm, well, I think, as far as I know, no, I know for certain that there are no things that require the immediate presence of the high council," He stuttered.
"Thank you," Alenador said friendly, too friendly. "You know what I think the problem is? Those poor council members are overworked. They need something that will take their minds off strange matters that give them crazy ideas. I think it's time that I remind them just who they're messing with. You take tomorrow off, I don't want you anywhere near the council compound."
"Why not?"
Alenador gave him a smile, but it certainly wasn't as friendly as normal. "I don't want you to be in the way of the troops."
"Troops? What troops? Soldiers aren't allowed in the council compound, it's against the law."
"A law that the high council created," Alenador reminded. "The high council wants to change laws? Well, I can certainly oblige them. The members of the high council never mingle with normal people anymore since they started living in that compound with their families. Because of that they're starting to suffer from grand delusion. As of tomorrow the law that the council compound is a DMZ will be retracted. The soldiers will be there to help the council pack for their five year work vacation on Idon. There they'll help in the building of the irrigation project, and I mean as laborers, not as bureaucrats. Once they're gone the Council compound will be razed to the ground. I think it's time that we went back to when the council members lived amongst the civilians."
She paused for a moment to think. "An election will be held for a new council who will once again be from the people and for the people. When the old council members come back from Idon five years from now, they can go live amongst the people again, and nothing else. No work, no restarting their political career, nothing. And when they no longer can stand doing absolutely nothing, they can come to me and beg me on their knees to forgive them. If they're lucky I'll let them do some volunteer work. I think that'll remind them of what their place is. You don't mess with the General Supreme, period."
She pointed at the President of the world government. "You, mister President, apparently still know what your place is or else you wouldn't have reported this. You can go back to work as soon as the council has left for its 'vacation'. Your first task will be to organize new elections for the high council. I just have one question for you; what will the media report? That the General Supreme made this decision, or that the General Supreme is following the orders of the President?"
The President thought about that for a minute. He knew that the council had brought this on itself. They had forgotten that this particular General Supreme preferred to do things the nice way, but that she didn't hesitate to use her powers if needed. They had let the General Supreme's young age mislead them. They had forgotten just who trained this woman; that the person who had created the saying 'politics should never run loose' had been her mentor. He liked being President, he was good at it; it was the reason why he had been reelected by the people four times in a row. He knew what he had to do.
"This is a political situation, and I won't run away from my responsibilities. Hereby I give you the order to take care of this problem as affectively and expeditiously as possible. And I thank the army for their unconditional and total support of the President's office."
"Well then, I have no other option than to follow the President's orders, thank you."
The President nodded and stood up to leave the office.
"One more thing," Alenador said when he was almost at the door. She waited until he had turned around to face her again. "I'm getting rid of the entire council because none of them came to me to tell me this and to tell me that they didn't like the council plans. They're all running blindly behind the board and that's what I'm punishing. But the board itself has been trying my patience one too many times."
"Meaning?" The President asked, but having a pretty good idea what she meant.
"You know, it's really funny how much of a coincidence it is, but did you know that all the board members suffer from a weak heart? I'm afraid that they won't survive the hard work on Idon, none of them."
The President nodded his head in understanding. No, the council had made a big mistake by poking this particular General Supreme one too many times. He turned around again to leave, but Alenador wasn't quite finished with him yet. She waited until he had reached to door before speaking up again.
"Oh, and mister President?"
He turned around once more, his eyes never focusing on her. He didn't want to look at her, he didn't want to see the cold stare that he knew had to be in those eyes directed at him. "Yes?"
"With there being a totally new high council being elected, you'll be the only senior political force in our world government. Show them the way in the world of state politics wisely. Make them into excellent, honest, and fair politicians that truly work for the people. Don't let the fact that you're more experienced than them go to your head. We wouldn't want you to get heart problems, now would we?"
The President swallowed to wet his dry throat. "Of course not. You don't have to worry about my health. My heart is fine and will continue to be fine for many years to come."
"As long as we understand each other."
"We do," The President assured her while nodding his head to reaffirm what he was saying.
Alenador turned her chair around again until she was looking out of the window once more.
The President wanted to go, but he had a feeling that she was still not finished yet. Finally after a few and long silent moments she spoke up again.
"I also heard that the high council has a proposal under its review. Considering allowing mining to start on Idon. I find it kind of strange to start mining on the same planet that we're irrigating to make the vast desert regions habitable. I also think that the jungle areas on the planet are very valuable to the planet's continued existence."
The President knew what Alenador was getting at. He didn't bother wondering how she could possibly know about a proposal that had only been discussed on council grounds. He knew how to react. "I heard of the proposal. But I'm certain that the new council won't even let it pass the first voting round."
"I'm glad to hear that. You may go now."
Within two seconds the President was gone.
Alenador softly shook her head. 'What a piece of misery. One of these days I have to do something about that rule that world government politicians don't have to serve in the army. I've seen children with more back bone than him. He can be lucky that he's such a good politician, otherwise he would be joining the council on their trip to Idon. I just wonder if the people even suspect how weak the character is of the man they love to have as a President. But, they keep voting for him, so President he is.'
She focused her attention once more on the building square and let her mind drift to someone else than the President. Within less than a minute the color of her eyes had changed from light yellow to dark blue.