Chapter 1: Uninvited Guests

The sensor tech observed the decaying hyperspace footprint of the newcomer. "That looks weird," he thought. "It certainly isn't one of ours and it isn't a Swarm drive either. What the hell is it?" He decided to ask for help, «AI, what is that?» Conversations with the AI were kept sub-vocal to avoid distracting cross-chatter in the scan section.

«It is an L'Chekt drive, Private.»

He'd seen that mentioned a few weeks ago; if only he could remember what it was about. There was definitely something about an L'Chekt drive somewhere. There was so much stuff to take in and most of it rubbish. He forgot almost all of it as soon as he'd read it. The AI would know, «Tell me more.»

«The new arrival is almost certainly the Salah al-Din, returning from the Arab League colony on Escardis. Orders are to notify the Officer of the Watch as soon as it arrives.»

He didn't need that last part. As soon as the AI had mentioned the Salah al-Din he'd reached for the call stud by his sensor station. That part of his instructions he did remember. Once Commander Katz arrived he could pass this one upstairs for someone else to handle.

Captain Rayyan al-Basri stood on the bridge of the Salah al-Din and glumly surveyed the view on the scanners. This was what he had feared he might see. Confederacy ships were visible, as expected, though they were near Saturn, which he had not anticipated. Those ships did not present a problem. While not exactly friends, the Confederacy were not enemies either. Judging by past experience they would observe, but not interfere. His problem was those other ships, the strange ships clustered near Earth. They were definitely not Confederacy. The only likely explanation was that the Swarm had arrived. The presence of the Swarm would also explain why the Confederacy fleet was so far away from Earth. That was not good, not good at all. Insha'Allah he and his ship would be able to make it back to Escardis; anything more than simple survival would be a bonus.

He told his Exec, "Call a meeting of the ship's senior officers in fifteen minutes. Keep scanning and let me know as soon as you see any reaction from either the Confederacy or the unknowns." What they were seeing now was more that an hour old, the light had been on its way even before they had arrived back in the solar system. There was still some time to wait before they would be able to see any reactions to their arrival. Similarly, they would have to wait for any response to the message to the Arab League on Earth, announcing their return. He wasn't even sure if the Arab League still existed; with the presumed Swarm fleet that close to Earth there would likely be fighting on the ground in some areas.

Their only real choice was between staying where they were or moving towards the Confederacy fleet. The Salah al-Din was defenceless, so there was no sense in trying to orbit Earth with the Swarm fleet nearby, that was just asking for trouble. Approaching the Confederacy fleet would allow them to gain more knowledge about the current situation. Things in the solar system had very obviously changed a great deal in the years since their last visit.

It took more time than Rayyan wanted, but eventually he managed to persuade everyone that they needed to approach the Confederacy fleet. It was essential for them to gather more information on the present situation. Due to the way the Confederacy had treated Moslems on Earth, there was still a great deal of mistrust among his officers. They did not want to have to rely on the infidels if they didn't absolutely have to. He had to spend the time convincing them that their need was absolute. He wanted them with him on this, not reluctantly following orders that they disagreed with. If he was to make correct decisions, then he needed accurate facts to base them on. Too many incorrect decisions might mean that none of them would ever see Escardis and their families ever again.

In space the Confederacy had never shown any overt aggression. Being treated with indifference was something they could put up with if they had to. It was better than anything they could expect from the Swarm.

Rayyan returned to the bridge after the meeting and ordered, "Helm, set course towards the Confederacy fleet at normal sub-light cruising speed. We will halt two light-seconds short of their nearest ship."

"Yes, sir."

Shortly after they started moving the scan showed the Confederacy's first reaction. "Captain, three ships are leaving the Confederacy fleet and moving towards us. Two small ones, similar to the Corvette that shadowed us on previous occasions, and one larger ship. Not one of their largest, probably a Destroyer or a small Cruiser, sir."

"Maintain course and speed towards the Confederacy fleet," Rayyan ordered. "We will talk to them when the distance allows it." The Confederacy had to know who they were. Their sensors were far more advanced than anything he had on board. Even with his relatively primitive kit, he could tell the difference between the unknowns and his own ship.

There was no detectable reaction yet from the presumed Sa'arm fleet. They were further away, so the speed of light would not allow the scan to see their response for some time. Rayyan did not doubt that there would be a response; he would just have to contain his impatience, and his anxiety, until he could see it.

At last the waiting stopped. "Incoming message, sir. It is from the largest of the three approaching Confederacy ships," the communications rating announced. "It's in Arabic!"

"I'll take it in my ready room." Rayyan didn't want the entire bridge hearing this conversation. "Make sure you record everything."

"Of course, sir."

Once he was alone, Rayyan listened to what the Confederacy had to say, "This is Captain al-Tarhouni of the Confederacy Destroyer CSS Bactria. Please come in, Salah al-Din. Reply on this frequency. Over."

The message repeated after a five second pause; obviously a recording on a loop. Captain al-Tarhouni had a Libyan accent with something else mixed in, probably American. It was a good sign that there was at least one Arabic speaker on board the ships sent to meet them and he was also the Captain of the largest ship. It showed that the Confederacy was expecting them. No doubt the Confederacy trading station orbiting Escardis had told Earth of their departure twelve months ago.

Rayyan replied, "This is Captain al-Basri of the Salah al-Din. I am ready to talk. Over."

He didn't expect an immediate response of course. There was still enough distance between the two ships to impose an annoying delay due to the speed of light, and Captain al-Tarhouni would need time to get to a microphone. Rayyan decided to catch up with some paperwork while he waited.

To his relief, he was soon interrupted, "Captain al-Basri, this is Captain al-Tarhouni. I had expected to be talking to Captain al-Fulani. I hope that he is well and that nothing has happened to him? Over."

"Captain al-Tarhouni, I am pleased to say that he was perfectly well the last time I saw him on Escardis. We decided that more than one person needed experience of captaining the Salah al-Din, so I stepped up for this voyage. Over."

"Good, I am pleased to hear that he is well. I see that you are moving towards us. May I ask where you intend to station yourself?"

"We will halt at two light seconds distance from your fleet," Rayyan told him.

"Very good. I have orders to protect your vessel from the Sa'arm provided it stays close to our fleet. Two light seconds is fine for the moment, though in an emergency we may request that you move closer."

Rayyan wasn't going to commit himself to following Confederacy orders, even if they were politely phrased as a 'request'. Instead he avoided the subject altogether and asked a question of his own, "Those strange ships near Earth are the Sa'arm, then?"

"I'm afraid they are, Captain. You are lucky to have arrived during a lull in the fighting. Obviously, some parts of the system would not be safe for you. I assume you are still unarmed."

"Your assumption is correct, we have nothing beyond sidearms for the crew. How do you think that the Sa'arm will react to our arrival?"

"Swarm tactics generally follow set patterns," Captain al-Tarhouni explained. "Currently you are an unknown. They will probably start by investigating you to see if you are a danger to them. If they follow previous practice they will send three scout ships to scan you. I will allow those scouts close enough for them to do a long-range scan, but not closer."

"Could you not stop them scanning us?"

"I could, but it would not be worth it. When the Sa'arm meet an obstacle, they increase their forces and attack it again. They would only come back at us with a larger force and things would escalate from there. You are in minimal danger from their scouts. My ship specializes in anti-missile defence, so I will be able to intercept any attack in the unlikely event that they fire something at you. They use scouts for scouting, not for attacking."

"How do you think the Swarm will classify us?" Rayyan enquired.

"Since your ship is unarmed, they will likely see you as harmless. Their only interest would be to dismantle your ship for scrap and our Fleet can stop them doing that."

"Thank you for the warning, Captain al-Tarhouni. I will let my crew know to look out for their scouts. Can you tell me anything about the current state of relations between the Arab League and the Confederacy?"

"I'm afraid I cannot be a great deal of help there, Captain al-Basri. I do know that negotiations have been going on over the last year, ever since we got news of your ship's departure from Escardis. I imagine that your arrival will add a new degree of urgency to those talks. Beyond that, I'm afraid I am unable to help you. Your question relates to diplomacy, which happens at a level well above a mere ship's captain. I am sorry not to be able to help you more. Over."

"Thank you for your help and advice, Captain al-Tarhouni. It has been useful. Over and out."

Rayyan was glad of the warning about the Sa'arm scouts. The scan soon picked up three small ships as they left the enemy fleet and moved towards him. There were many anxious faces on the bridge as they approached. Rayyan himself was nervous; they were very vulnerable if the Swarm tried anything and the Confederacy decided that they were expendable.

He felt a sense of relief when the three Confederacy vessels interposed themselves, as Captain al-Tarhouni had said they would, to prevent the alien scouts approaching too close. His crew detected the predicted long-range scan and soon the trio of Sa'arm scouts returned to their fleet. He maintained a watch of course, but from then on the Swarm seemed to ignore him. Presumably his ship was 'harmless' after all.

His biggest concerns now were resupply and passengers. He couldn't approach Earth without protection, and Confederacy protection was only available close to their fleet. How would he be able to load any supplies or passengers if he had to stay this far from Earth? Without supplies, they would not survive the year-long journey back to Escardis. Without passengers, two years of effort would be completely wasted. The purpose of this return journey to Earth was to carry more people from Earth to Escardis, so unless he could load passengers he would not be able to carry out his mission. He would pass the problem to the Arab League and wait.

Tribune Leo Nevin's secretary announced his next visitor, "Sir, His Excellency Emir Ahmed Al-Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Exterior Minister of the Arab League."

The smiling Tribune greeted his guest at the door to his office, "as-Salaamu 'alaykum and welcome, your Excellency. Please enter."

"Wa 'alaykum as-salaam, Tribune," the Minister responded, "How are you? Are you well?"

"I'm very well Your Excellency, disgustingly healthy in fact. And yourself?"

"I also am well, though I do not have access to the, ahh ... facilities that the Confederacy provides."

"Good, good. May I offer you some coffee, Your Excellency?"

"Your hospitality is most generous, Tribune."

Soon they were both settled at the low table, savouring their small cups of hot Arab coffee, served with fresh dates. The social formalities having been completed, the Minister turned their conversation to business.

"Thank you, Tribune, for seeing me so promptly. As I'm sure you are aware, there is some urgency in our requests for assistance with the Salah al-Din."

"We are fully aware of the urgency, your Excellency, and we can already answer many of your requests. We will defend the Salah al-Din from the Sa'arm, provided it does not move too far from its current position near our fleet. We will refuel and resupply it for the journey back to Escardis. My people tell me that we still have to clarify some minor technical details, such as the type of connector you use on your Oxygen tanks. I am sure we can quickly resolve those issues at a lower level."

The Minister nodded. "I thank you for your offers of protection and of supplies for the return voyage. They will be a great help to us." He paused to emphasise his point, "You have, however, not mentioned the loading of passengers. I would stress that the return journey will be effectively useless if the ship has no passengers. That is not something we would wish to see."

"We would not wish to see that happen either, your Excellency, and we have some ideas to help you avoid that eventuality. In general, the humans of the Confederacy are in favour of as many human colonies in space as possible, and we include your colony on Escardis in that assessment. We can certainly find some passengers for you, so the return journey will not be entirely wasted. The potential passengers fall into two groups, those with CAP scores and those without. We will not have any problem sending you those who have CAP scores. The major issue is with any who do not yet have a CAP score."

"Indeed," the Minister agreed.

"Dealing with the easier group first, we see two sources of people with CAP scores. Firstly, those of your citizens on Earth who have already taken the test and secondly, those who we have extracted to the Moon and tested, but not yet transferred to one of our colonies. We will offer any of those people on the Moon the option of travelling on the Salah al-Din instead of shipping out to a Confederacy colony. What proportion of non-Muslims are you willing to accept, Your Excellency? We expect that a number of non-sponsor men would see life on Escardis, with four wives, as being preferable to anything we could offer them in the Diaspora."

The Minister was emphatic, "Non-Muslims would not be acceptable, Tribune. We will only accept Muslims for settlement on Escardis. Non-Muslims have many other colonies to choose from."

Tribune Nevin nodded; this was the answer he had anticipated. "Very well, we will only allow Muslims to volunteer. My people will let you know the volunteers' details. I expect that there will be a higher proportion of men than you would want, with your preferred ratio of four women to one man. You will of course be able to refuse passage to those you do not wish to carry."

"I await your list, Tribune. We will indeed want to select only those who would be suitable for life on Escardis."

"Similarly, my staff will need a list of the names and details of those people who you wish us to transfer from Earth. For the moment, just those who already have CAP scores. You will need to assemble them at agreed sites on Earth. We will transport them to the Moon, combine them with the selected volunteers and ship them all to the Salah al-Din.

"That can easily be arranged, Tribune," the Minister confirmed. "I'll start my assistants working on it today."

"We do have a bigger problem with any untested people you may wish us to take directly from Earth, Your Excellency. The AIs impose certain conditions on whom we can carry; our ships could not even move if the AIs were not satisfied that all the passengers met the right criteria. That would give us a veto over who went to your colony and we do not imagine that would be acceptable to yourselves."

"No, indeed it would not," the Minister confirmed vehemently.

"As we anticipated," the Tribune acknowledged. "We are currently negotiating with our AIs to try to resolve the issue. It helps that we are only discussing a transfer within the solar system, not an interstellar voyage. There is already precedent for transporting people without CAP scores from the Earth to the Moon. We are trying to extend that precedent to persuade the AIs to help you."

"I am sure you will be able to come up with a satisfactory solution, Tribune, insha'Allah.

Walid was wondering if being extracted to the Moon was a big mistake. With his CAP score of 4.7 he knew he wouldn't be a sponsor, but the big Confederacy Marine had assured him that they were taking almost everybody from the building. He could come along with everyone else if he wanted to. The only ones being left behind were old women and refuseniks. As the days passed he could see that the unattached men like himself were staying unattached. The women were mostly finding sponsors pretty quickly, but the men were finding it much more difficult. In two days he would go back anyway; they returned unselected men to Earth after a week up here. That wasn't a good prospect, to have gotten so far and then be rejected at the last stage. Insha'Allah, something better would come up for him. Even if it didn't, he'd been doing all right in Dearborn. Perhaps his job would still be open when he got back? The Confederacy had extracted so many people that the company would have a lot of vacancies to fill very quickly. Surely, he hoped, they wouldn't have replaced him already? Even if they had, there was always the Army; they wanted recruits to fight the aliens.

The AI spoke through his concubine collar, interrupting his thoughts. "Walid ben Hamdi, make your way to Lecture Theatre Four. You are required to attend a presentation there."

As the theatre filled, Walid noticed that a lot of people in the audience weren't European. Some were, but most were of Arabic, African, South Asian, or Far Eastern appearance. The Confederacy didn't pay much attention to racial types so what was going on here?