Of Fire and Night - Kevin J. Anderson [120]
Although he had no choice but to show his cooperation, he did not have to appear pleased or eager. "What are your instructions?"
"We will send a small group of warglobes to attack the humans at Earth, but we will rely on you to destroy the human defenses."
"Destroy them all? The Earth military is as powerful as the Solar Navy."
"That is no longer true. They have been weakened from within by their own compies. Your numbers and weapons should be sufficient."
Jora'h took a moment to digest this new information. "Why would their own compies turn against them?"
"They were programmed to do so. Our allies, the Klikiss robots, bear hatred toward humanity because the humans have created their own sentient robots."
He seized a fine thread of hope. "But Ildirans have never created sentient machines. We promised them that long ago. Why is my race being threatened?"
"Your race is irrelevant. You can avoid destruction only if you assist us in this small skirmish. We have an ancient agreement with the Klikiss robots."
"You had an agreement with us, too."
"Therefore we will not obliterate your race, provided you fulfill your role." Then the emissary added ominously, "Warglobes will go to other Ildiran planets to ensure your cooperation."
Then, in a pulsing emotionless drone, the hydrogue ambassador methodically laid out the end of the human race, explaining how the Solar Navy would trick the humans and then turn on them when they were most vulnerable.
Cold wind blew against Jora'h's face. The chill spread like ice through his veins, and he had no choice but to listen.
69
ADAR ZAN'NH
Immediately after the hydrogues departed, Zan'nh tried to bury himself in his regular duties. In these times, he served as both Adar and acting Prime Designate, and he felt useless at both. His Solar Navy--four full cohorts overhead--hadn't even been allowed to challenge the threatening warglobes!
A new female presented herself in the chambers assigned for the Prime Designate's mating duties. She came from the rememberer kith, attractive and intelligent in her own way, her face a sculpture of fleshy lobes that could display a palette of emotions. When Zan'nh made love to her, he could watch and react to everything she liked. He knew that the golden-green color now flushing her skin was an indicator of joy.
He had not been born to be Prime Designate, but the Mage-Imperator had tasked him to serve in that capacity nevertheless. There was pleasure, naturally, but it was also his duty. Zan'nh had already begun to forget the names of the eager volunteers. He might have found it easier if his bloodline had been pure, if he'd been entirely noble-born. Because half of his genes came from the military kith, Zan'nh was better skilled at tactics and command than he was at courtly romance. Fortunately, the female candidates did not seem to care.
"You have honored my kith," the rememberer said, her face blushing a hint of sky blue. "I am certain I will bear a healthy child for you."
Zan'nh remembered to stroke her face, her bare shoulders, though the whole process felt awkward to him. As Prime Designate, his father had showered his lovers with lavish gifts; entire staffs had tracked the births and maintained records of offspring. Zan'nh, though, would rather be at his military work instead of this. Especially now--he had to find a way to defeat the hydrogues!
"It is important for us all to do our duties for the Ildiran Empire."
The rememberer woman pulled on her filmy, colorful garments, bowed, and left the mating chamber. Outside in the corridor, medical kithmen and bureaucrats made careful notes while the woman submitted to their inspection. Noble advisers would already be sifting through female candidates, selecting his next visitor for tomorrow.
Zan'nh sighed. He was not meant for soft and pleasurable work, receiving one female after another. He couldn't forgive Thor'h's traitorous actions and took no pleasure in being promoted to his brother's place. But someone else should be doing this. Already, his mind was occupied with tactical