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A quick look about told me it was the middle of the sleep cycle for the Moneyworld. Shadowed walls. Black consoles. The only light source in the room appeared to emanate from scattered workstations. The place was too small for an official security operations base inside an embassy but it housed some serious tech. The four blackclad Tabisee working at the various stations did not even react to our entry.
Mathet stood in the open center of the space, in front of a huge, gray-lit wallscreen. With arms crossed and head bowed, he looked like some pensive god of war.
He looked up, eyes locking on me. "Tell me what you know about this, Human."
A slow shift in the light of the screen behind him caught my eye, and I realized it wasn't actually dark; it was gradients of gray. Small particles moved in the darkness surrounding a larger mass that his shoulders had previously blocked. The tiny bits sparkled in a slowly expanding cloud.
Sudden dread flashed through me. "What is that?"
"The Obega," he snarled. "It exploded."
Shoff, Meeroush, and Saura stared at the image in stunned silence.
Shit. "I don't understand." I took a step forward to see more clearly. "Why are you asking me? You said it was impossible for the Endar to put me on your ship—"
"You were never on the Obega!" Mathet slammed a hand against a nearby console, causing us all to flinch. He glared at me. "Yet our ship is mysteriously destroyed." Thin light burned over hard Tabisee features. He was keeping his fury tightly contained. "What game is the EA playing, Human?"
"None! I swear! What happened? From the beginning, please."
"The Obega broke fold at Vasheesh Point to make the course adjustment necessary to continue to the Tabi Empire. When an Endar security vessel approached, hailing it for what they claim was a routine boarding inspection, our vessel exploded."
I recognized the word 'Point' as a Whooex term for a station similar to the EA's Black Rock, only much larger. The first Points out from the Moneyworld were staffed with Endar because of their role as Trade Consortium security. Others were staffed by their local Star Associations.
What to say in the face of such a disaster? "Were people hurt...?"
"It was automated."
That matched what I knew about the ship. I stared at the screen, watching the cloud of debris expand into gray space. Light from the local star glimmered off the pieces of tumbling wreckage, making them twinkle. Amazing how disaster could look so beautiful. The image reminded me of a fireworks display I had seen on a world somewhere. Only these didn't darken. They kept glittering, a cloud of space confetti celebrating the worst day possible for Tabisee and Humans.
"How are we seeing this?"
"A real-time feed from an Endar Talon investigating the incident."
"What caused the explosion?"
"You tell me. I want to know your mission. Now!" He took a step toward me, capped claws bared.
"I swear—" I stammered, Meeroush's hand holding me firmly in place.
A shrill tone pierced the tension.
"Ser, incoming urgent from Consortium Security," a tech announced.
Mathet spat a curse. "Background mask," he snapped as he turned to the screen. He raised a hand and held it motionless while the air between him and the rest of us shimmered and darkened.
The deepspace image disappeared as the High Jerak, his blood-red eyes matching his satin collar, loomed on the screen.
"Captain Waa Silvec." His gaze swept the room. I cringed, though I knew the Tabi mask blocked us from his sight. The red eyes returned to Mathet. "I'm sure Ambassador Ressu has made you aware of current events. Allow me to express my sincere sympathy on the loss of your ship, the Obega. We, the Endar Sat Quar, want to assure the Tabisee people we will do everything in our power to find the underlying cause of this tragic incident. However, we have discovered something which seriously complicates your situation."
My stomach lurched with an instinctive sense of menace as he folded his long multi-jointed fingers to rest like some horrible spider on the surface before him. The narrow slash of mouth bowed tautly upward on the ends. "We understand how the Tabi hierarch of security works here. Your division must assess the threat level and sanction any action your ambassador takes." The strip of mouth straightened. "So, we come to you first with our concern."
I imagined claws grating on hard surfaces as everyone waited for the High Jerak to get to the point of his contact.
He paused, straining nerves further, then leaned in, as if to make the encounter more intimate. "Our debris scans of the unfortunate Obega have picked up trace elements of Human DNA."
"That is impossible," Mathet stated without a twitch.
"Impossible, indeed. I believe your declaration of ignorance. But what are we to think? We find it difficult to understand why Humans would infiltrate this world at a time when the Consortium is willing to consider their acceptance for membership. They obviously do not consider the repercussions of their actions on their allies in their reckless drive for...whatever they seek."
Mathet did not move or speak.
"Such catastrophic betrayal must be a shock to you. We do not expect you to accept it, unsubstantiated. I have forwarded a file to your embassy, marked for your eyes only. It contains our ship's scans, with locations of the detections in the debris. We do not want you to think we misinterpreted the evidence, and we certainly do not expect you to proceed in your next steps without careful consideration.
"The Tabi Empire is a respected member of the Whooex Trade Consortium, with a reputation for integrity. If you say you are unaware of illegal Human activity on this world, we believe you. I am sure the other members will rally around you in this time of terrible betrayal. It is difficult for the Primacy to understand why the Tabi Empire would choose to ally with such an irresponsible, primitive culture. The association is not to your benefit. Or so it would appear," he added.
"Our choices appear to be in question," Mathet's voice sounded rock hard and emotionless.
"They do, don't they," Seok feigned sympathy. Failed. "It pains me to think we could have prevented this senseless loss had the Sat Quar been more involved in your security. Tabi are good, trusting people. It is regrettable someone would place your Empire in such a position."
I had to admire Mathet and his crew; they remained rigidly non-reacting as they stared at the cold, threatening face. I, on the other hand, trembled with cold fear.
Seok leaned back. "Until our investigation is completed, Whooex Union Trade Consortium Security will consider the Tabi Empire the innocent victim of subversion. If no implicating connections are uncovered, we shall declare this a failed attempt at espionage by the Earth Alliance and close the file. You may go about your Empire's business knowing we are doing everything in our power to protect the interests of our fellow members. If there are further developments, be assured, you will be the first to know." The screen abruptly returned to its view of deepspace disaster, made even more significant now by the High Jerak's threat.
"Do we have the file?" Mathet snapped as the mask lifted.
"We do, ser. No spyware detected. Preparing to move over to a secure work file. Scanning. Again, no tags detected. Transferring through our filters. Done. Sending to lab for comparison to on-file data, request tagged immediate."
Before I could draw a breath the tech sang out, "the DNA is a match to hers, ser."
Mother Universe, I wished things worked that fast in the EA!
As Mathet swung around, looking like a god of war again, I had second thoughts on that.
"Tell me," he said in the same low, controlled voice he had used with the High Jerak, "how your DNA is in the debris of a Tabisee freighter at Vasheesh Point?"
"He ordered me to be put on that ship..." I sensed he would not be any more receptive to my explanation of escaping a Tabi ship into an Endar warehouse now than before.
"Two hundred years we have evaded their treachery. Two hundred years we managed to stay free of their influence! Now it is all undone!"
"There must be something—" I stammered.
"There is nothing! They can claim we smuggled a Human spy off world and programmed the Obega to self-destruct if it encountered a boarding threat. We have no defense against DNA evidence!" He scowled as if he wanted to shred everything in sight. "Their scan can only lead to one of two conclusions. Either Humans are working behind the backs of the Tabisee and betraying our alliance with them; or Tabisee are conspiring with Humans against the laws of the Whooex Trade Consortium."
"But—"
"The High Jerak laid down an ultimatum," Mathet continued over my protest, "We must reject Human admission to the Whooex Trade Consortium. If we do not, they will release the scans and accuse us of colluding with the EA."
"But you didn't bring me here! The Rittos and Zeeks know that."
"As do the Endar. It does not matter! The Ritto-ssa and Xix will come under similar pressure."
After what I just witnessed, I didn't care if the EA was rejected for membership on this twisted hellhole. It wouldn't hurt anything but our pride. But I did not want to be the cause of the Tabi Empire falling into the Primacy's web of manipulation. "There must be something I can do to help."
"We do not want your help! The Tabi Empire will make a decision after careful consideration."
"But I can go before the Consortium and explain what happened." I would be forever damned with Humans, but it could save the other star associations from the Endar's threat.
"Further entangling us and other members in the Primacy's conspiracy accusations? Do you think anyone will believe you?"