Chapter 18: Difficult Decision

“Silternjan, repeat these words you just said!” Horn Kikon gritted his teeth as the atmosphere spiked with tension.

“Calm down, Kikon”, Archbishop Silternjan felt a tinge scared that the beast will lose all reason and attack the messenger. Inwardly he cursed the Violet Star Commander for sending Horn Kikon along General Logan and not someone less unhinged. “It’s the chain trying to take what little advantage still available from obtaining the Galactic Communicator”.

“Silternjan”, Admiral Hamumni banged her tiny fist on the table. “You said that the administration permissions of the Galactic Communicator were erased, but you haven’t said what was left?”

“Regarding that...” Archbishop Silternjan’s old bottom slightly shifted on his seat. Only in front those of the same caliber as his and in matter related to His Holiness, such as the joint operation, would he fail to completely mask his unease. “All other functions are either fixable or undamaged to begin with. If the chain wants, they are capable of broadcasting the coordinates of this planet outside of the Milky Way plain”.

“Why have you kept to yourself it till now?!” General Logan berated.

“We didn’t assume that the chain will get so far? Maybe regardless how much they know, they are still unaware of what will happen if news about this tomb of a planet will spread to other Immortal powerhouses”. Cardinal Northstar relieved a portion of the burden from Archbishop Silternjan.

“By settling inhabitants of our three powers and letting them blend for a few thousand years with the old population of this planet, for my Violet Star Commander it’s no longer a legal or ethical issue if all life on this planet will perish. I’m sure it’s the same for His Holiness and General of the Armies”. Horn Kikon grunted. “But if someone else will snatch the treasure of that expert, then all this patient work will end them being for naught and we will have to suffer the consequences. Even I won’t be an exception”. Perhaps because of how rare was his class as a beast that when an imminent threat to his life, beyond his abilities to defend himself, presented itself, his instinct for self preservation kicked in and he became extremely coolheaded.

“Then how should we respond?” Admiral Hamumni asked, her line of sight budged toward General Beking. “We can’t consult the Planetary Battalion, Voltic Star or Holy Palace. An hour is not enough time for correspondence”.

“We will have to decide on our own on whether to comply or not. Our leaders will realize if we suddenly stop communication-”

“Wait a moment”, General Logan cut her mid speech. “You do understand that this is no compliance, but submission to enemy’s demands”.

“I’m also against breaking off communication”. Cardinal Northstar affirmed.

Looking at the two, General Beking’s brows creased. “Northstar, you landed on this planet with His Young Eminence, Stelero Mars, and a postulant with an extraordinary background. Do you think it is not obvious that you seek whatever solution that will permit you to bring them back to the Holy Palace? Logan, tell me how you prefer to handle the situation, but remember, one transmission to your Voltic Star and you might doom your Violet Star Commander’s hopes for the treasure”.

Reprimanding one, warning the other ... after General Beking finished, neither Cardinal Northstar nor General Logan opened their mouths to further embarrass themselves.

“Making this judgment on our own still feels wrong, in my opinion”. Archbishop Silternjan insisted. “You said it yourself, Beking, currently in the Grand Abode is an Ascended Elite, whose authority in the Holy Palace higher than both mine and Northstar, and a young postulant who even His Holiness cherish deeply, not to mention her parents. By complying with the chain’s demands, those two will have to remain on this planet for hundreds, if not thousands, more years”.

“I considered them, already, Silternjan”. General Beking comforted. “As a matter of a fact, it’s quite simple. Answer me, Silternjan, Northstar, too, if you wish ... What’s more important, the Immortal treasure we are after or sending Stelero Mars and the postulant back to the Holy Palace?”

Archbishop Silternjan and Cardinal Northstar both grimaced upon hearing the inquiry. Nothing short from what they predicted would be General Beking’s thoughtful consideration. There was no need to replay, nor blame General Beking’s straightforward manners. The reason they had ugly looks on their faces was because they will have to explain the situation to His Young Eminence and enforce the decision, even if he would be against it.

The more they tried to refute the notion of going along with Sinister Chain’s demands, the closer they found themselves reaching to the frustrating understanding that there is no better alternative.

The atmosphere around the round table was downcast.

“Please, everyone, it’s not like we have zero options out of this predicament”. General Beking said with reassurance.

“Beking, we admit. You have the best strategist mind. Now tell us what we haven’t thought off, yet”. Archbishop Silternjan spoke with resigned tone.

“Elder sister Beking, don’t play with us like that Silternjan did at the beginning”. Admiral Hamumni pleaded as she could not tolerate more suspense.

Snickering, General Beking opened. “Sheldon”.

“Sheldon?”

“Sheldon? Your intentions are... ?!”

Nearly everyone but Cardinal Northstar took only a moment to realize General Beking’s, most probably, final resort.

At the same breath of mentioning the name of the Mercenary Association’s leader, General Beking jumped on the momentum of her speech before she will get interrupted. “You don’t know this, so listen, Northstar. Sheldon, the man leading the Mercenary Association, once in the past discovered communication device wreckages of the Immortal expert that died on this planet. After years of studying them and comparison to the communication technology used here, he came up with a half decent Galactic Communicator. With this makeshift communicator that could reach deep space, he contacted a number of Immortals, but could not figure this planet’s coordinates to give any of them”.