Chapter 2: The Home of Ouma Chatzke

“The conqueror is always a lover of peace; he would prefer to take over our country unopposed.”

– Carl von Clausewitz

Jason enjoyed sitting at the comfortable seat next to the well-worn table in the home of Ouma Chatzke. The smell in the room was delightful, reflective of the influence of an interesting piece of olfactory art carefully placed on the side on a side table. Jason appreciated his improved sense of smell that allowed him to enjoy the delicate nuances of the piece of art.

“I’m delighted to welcome all of you to my home, to enjoy dinner together,” communicated Ouma Chatzke by telepathy. She was in her praying mantis form and sitting on her boat shaped seat. “Philippa will be here shortly.”

Two servers entered the room and handed drinks to Ouma Chatzke, the Emperor Cassius and to Jason. Jason looked at the table and it was laid for one more guest. The servers returned a few moments later with plates of snacks.

Cassius turned to Jason. “Jason, Brecht and I want talk to you about your future and the plans for the short and medium-term. How are you doing?” Cassius put his arm around Jason’s shoulder for a one armed hug.

“I am in shock after the horrific battle last week. I feel the weight of heavy responsibility on my shoulders for the outcome of this impending war. Had I not had the forewarning that I did the outcome would have been disastrous. I woke last night after a nightmare where we did not get to Charassa in time and the planet was occupied. What will happen with all the future battles, how many people will be killed if I cannot alert them to danger. I don‘t know how I can be everywhere at once. Now I feel back on an out of control treadmill. I fell asleep and woke after another nightmare. Sheila and I were trying to guide our missile to catch the Coven planet destroyer. The planet shattered into hundreds of pieces. I had palpitations for half an hour.

“Despite everything going on at the University, I had felt more settled this year. The pace was slower. It was only a crisis every few weeks, rather than a new planet, new battle every few days and then new enemies every week. The crises were more manageable somehow.

“In many of the battles that I fought, the odds have been very much more in our favor until this last battle with so many casualties, ships, and cities damaged. The enemies are getting more and more formidable as I go on. I still have nightmares that began with my previous war experience in the jungle and now include this last battle. I was terrified the planet killer was going to destroy Charassa, that I was going to fail and that I would lose Ouma and so many wonderful bugs I know. Much of this is irrational, and I know I can’t be everywhere, but I nevertheless feel responsible,” said Jason.

Brecht Chatzke returned to the room in human form, dressed in a little black dress.

“Cassius and I saw your reaction to the battle. You have been looking very tired and upset these last few days. We agreed that I would speak to you,” said Ouma (Brecht) Chatzke his mother-in-law.

“You have fought in a war in your younger days that was a dangerous jungle war full of threats, booby-traps and a ruthless enemy. On your way here, you fought some extraordinary battles. You dealt with your enemies very cleverly and acquired a formidable army and a fleet. Your subsequent engagements were brilliantly fought, but many of your victories were sealed by additional technology and allies that you acquired and I refer to ‘the dogs and the pigs’, specifically, though Porquenta counts as well. You now have the ability to delegate most of the fighting to outstanding admirals and generals, who have an unprecedented loyalty to you. The morale of your forces is second to none.

“My military staff have analyzed your strategies and your tactics and are impressed by your strenuous efforts to protect your people and your assets. They believe it is one of your major assets and downfalls in that you cannot avoid damage and casualties in the size and the scope of the war we are now engaged in and waging,” Brecht stated with conviction.

Jason leaned back. His back looked rigid and stiff and he sat awkwardly. “Thank you very much for your praise today and also for providing me with the information on the analysis of my battles. I lost many men, some in horrifying ways during the Vietnam War. I value life and the lives of my people. When I returned from Vietnam it took me a long time to settle down and I still had nightmares for ten years. My nightmares returned after I encountered the pirates three months after I left Earth.

“It is only in these last nine months I have been involved in battles on a bigger scale. Your people are right, I do find it incredibly difficult to plan a battle where both sides will slug it out and sustain massive damage. My special forces training was very much oriented to a surgical strike inflicting maximal damage on the enemy and escaping or collecting intelligence for the army to attack once we left. One of the images that remains with me after the war is of an attack on a village by us to kill an important enemy commander. The information we had been provided was false and I can still see the faces of the children I killed. This is what makes it difficult for me to be as ruthless as I need to be. I am terrified of making the same mistake and killing the innocent. I faced a court martial for war crimes. I used to look at the face of my daughter when she was a young child and sometimes the faces of the children that were killed were superimposed upon her face,” said Jason as he came out of his reverie.

“Enough of that sentimentality let us move on, this is a different war and there are different issues. Both of you are also aware that I still have a partly intact fleet. My fleet will need to be part of this war and how can I not be involved?”

Brecht replied, “Your fleet will be enormously valuable and important. You have very effective weapons against our current enemies and a new generation of shields courtesy of Porquenta. I would propose your fleet joins the fleet of the Collective. We will need your help, and I know you have an excellent team who can command your fleet.”

“Jason, you are a Duke, it is important to learn to step back and control your people and your assets from a distance. We feel it is premature for you to be directly involved and exposed in this war as part of a fleet. I have no doubt along the way events will occur where you are going to become involved. You attract such events and even though I would prefer you don’t get involved, I can foresee you will. You are destined to be centrally involved in events, but not as a fleet admiral or a general in the short term,” said Cassius.

Brecht looked at Cassius and nodded, then turned back to Jason. “Our enemies are of a similar level of technology to our own. The Coven may have fallen behind us a little, but you will hear some interesting information when you hear the results of our intelligence interrogations. I do not want to spoil their little surprises and it would make their presentation dull for you on Porquenta. Our enemies learn as quickly as we do, but you will hear of the others behind them. This will be a war that will be fought on many fronts, there will be battles in at least three galaxies and the war will involve trillions of beings. There will be destruction and death on a grand scale no matter what we do and no matter how we do it. This war will be waged over many years if not centuries as was the last. We will be exhausted and weary by the end and perhaps not all of us will survive it,” said Brecht before continuing.

“Both Cassius and I have the necessary judgement and instincts of rulers to look at issues in the longer-term. You are a very young man and early in your development. Neither of us believe that you should be involved in this war full-time. You need to pursue your further development and your integration into our societies. We are aware your aunt is restructuring the university as our academics are involved, but we believe you need to study further with your groups. They are fine people and I have no doubt several will remain friends with you for a lifetime. We also know that you have undertaken most of the work other than one major project that both Cassius and I believe is vital that you undertake in the Empire.