Eric Flint & K. D. Wentworth - The Course of Empire

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The Course of Empire

by Eric Flint and K.D. Wentworth

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this

book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is

purely coincidental.

thereof in any form.

A Baen Books Original

Baen Publishing Enterprises

P.O. Box 1403

Riverdale, NY 10471

www.baen.com

ISBN: 0-7434-7154-7

Cover art by Bob Eggleton

First printing, September 2003

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Flint, Eric.

Course of empire / Eric Flint & K.D. Wentworth.

p. cm.

ISBN 0-7434-7154-7 (hardcover)

1. Human-alien encounters—Fiction. I. Wentworth, K. D. II. Title.

PS3556.L548C68 2003

813'.54—dc22

2003014258

Distributed by Simon & Schuster

1230 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

Production by Windhaven Press, Auburn, NH

Printed in the United States of America

For Algis Budrys,

friend, mentor, and terrific writer;

and for Christopher Anvil, who once

told this story his own way.

Baen Books by Eric Flint

Joe's World series:

The Philosophical Strangler

Forward the Mage

(with Richard Roach)

Mother of Demons

1632

1633

(with David Weber)

Crown of Slaves

(with David Weber)

The Shadow of the Lion

(with Mercedes Lackey & Dave Freer)

This Rough Magic

(with Mercedes Lackey & Dave Freer)

Rats, Bats & Vats

(with Dave Freer)

Pyramid Scheme

(with Dave Freer)

The Belisarius Series, with David Drake:

An Oblique Approach

In the Heart of Darkness

Destiny's Shield

Fortune's Stroke

The Tide of Victory

The General series, with David Drake:

The Tyrant

Baen Books by K.D. Wentworth

Black/on/Black

Stars/over/Stars

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Human characters

Rafe (Raphael) Aguilera: Former tank commander, employed at the refit

facility in Pascagoula.

Willard Belk: Human tech at the refit facility.

Jonathan Kinsey: Professor of history, specialist on the Jao.

Ed Kralik: Jinau commander.

Ben Stockwell: President of the Jao's native government of North

America; Caitlin's father.

Caitlin Alana Stockwell: Daughter of Ben, student at the University of

New Chicago; Jao hostage.

Gabe Tully: Resistance agent; forcibly drafted into Aille's service.

Rob Wiley: Former U.S. Army lt. colonel, now military commander of

the Resistance in the Rocky Mountains.

Jao characters

Aille krinnu ava Pluthrak: Subcommandant newly arrived on Terra;

commander of all ground forces.

Ammet krinnu ava Binnat: Female veteran of the conquest.

Banle krinnu nao Narvo: Bodyguard/jailer assigned to Caitlin Stockwell

Chul krinnu ava Monat: A terniary-adjunct working in the refit facility

in Pascagoula.

Dau krinnu ava Pluthrak: Pluthrak elder

Drinn krinnu Sant vau Narvo: A member of Oppuk's service.

Hami krinnu Nullu vau Dree: Pleniary-superior stationed in England.

Jita krinnu ava Hariv: Commander of the Jao forces in the initial phase

of the Terran Conquest, replaced by Oppuk.

Jutre krinnu Kio vau Dano: Fraghta to Kaul.

Kaul krinnu ava Dano: Commandant of all Jao military forces in the

Terran solar system.

Llo krinnu Gava vau Narvo: Pilot.

Meku krinnu ava Pluthrak: Current Pluthrak kochanau.

Mrat krinnu nao Krumat: Officer stationed at Pascagoula.

Nath krinnu Tashnat vau Nimmat: Supervisor at the Pascagoula refit

facility.

Nikau krinnu ava Narvo: Narvo elder; one of Oppuk's pool-mothers.

Oppuk krinnu ava Narvo: Jao Governor of Terra

Pinb krinnu ava Hariv: Elderly Jao Subcommandant whom Aille

replaces, no longer on Earth.

Ronz: Preceptor of the Bond of Ebezon Harriers; a member of the

Strategy Circle.

Shia krinnu ava Narvo: Oppuk's former fraghta.

Tamt krinnu Kannu vau Hij: Aille's female bodyguard, part of his

personal service; later Caitlin Stockwell's bodyguard.

Tura: Pleniary-superior of the Bond of Ebezon Harriers.

Ullwa krinnu Sao vau Binnat: member of Oppuk's service

Vamre krinnu Vallt vau Kannu: Production director at Pascagoula refit

facility.

Wrot krinnu Hemm vau Wathnak: Retired veteran of the conquest, now

residing on Earth

Yaut krinnu Jithra vau Pluthrak: Aille's fraghta.

A note on Jao naming conventions:

The Jao do not use surnames in the human manner. The designation krinnu indicates

the kochan, or clan, to which the individual is affiliated. It can be translated by the

English term "of the."

If the individual is directly a member of one of the great root clans, krinnu will be

followed by either ava or nao, indicating whether the individual was born in one of the

primary or secondary marriage-groups of the clan.

If the individual is directly a member of one of the lesser kochan, his or her kochan

will be indicated by the krinnu designation, followed by the term vau, which then

indicates the root clan to which his or her kochan is affiliated.

Thus, Yaut krinnu Jithra vau Pluthrak can be translated as: "Yaut, of the Jithra

kochan, affiliated to the Pluthrak."

Prologue

"The Pluthrak scion has left Marit An, Preceptor. He should be arriving on Terra

soon."

The Bond of Ebezon's strategist did not look away from the holo tank which, at the

moment, was depicting the latest known activities of the Ekhat in Markau sector. "Send a

courier to Terra then, Tura. Inform our agents that it is beginning."

"Finally," she said.

He turned and studied her. The young pleniary-superior's posture was excellent, the

gestures and stance subtle and subdued in the manner that the Bond preferred in its

private discourse. In public, of course, Harriers were expected to maintain a completely

neutral posture at all times. Tura had risen quickly in the ranks of the Bond. The

Preceptor had great hopes for her; indeed, had selected her for this assignment with the

specific aim of furthering her training. Not the least of the responsibilities of the Strategy

Circle was training its own replacements for the time when its existing members grew too

old to serve.

"Do I detect a trace of amusement in the lay of your ears?" He waggled his own

whiskers with understated humor.

"Not amusement, exactly. Call it . . . exasperated rueful-patience."

The Preceptor tried to summon up an image of that combination. It could be done, by

a master movement stylist, but it would be an exceedingly difficult tripartite posture. The

Preceptor's old bones almost ached at the thought.

"Finally, indeed," he murmured. "Twenty years, it has taken us."

The pleniary-superior seemed a bit confused, and the Preceptor realized he had lapsed

into a humanism again. He did that often, of late. Not surprising, of course, as long as he

had studied the species.

"A 'year,' Tura, refers to a Terran orbital cycle."

"Ah." She did the calculation in her mind. It was not easy. Translating the particulate

human notions of time into Jao concepts was always difficult. "A very long time."

The pleniary-superior's eyes moved to the holo tank. It was still showing the reported

Ekhat movements, but, not long since, she had seen the image of a young Pluthrak there.

The same scion who was even now on his way to Terra. The Preceptor had spent much

time, studying that face.

"Do you think he can do it?" she asked.

The Preceptor shifted into a very subtle version of the tripartite posture best-attempt

coupled with uncertainty. It was very elegantly done, as always.

"There is no way to know. We can only create the situation, which we have done.

There is always the chance he will shrink from the task—and, if he doesn't, the

impossibility of knowing in advance what, exactly, he will create as well as destroy. Such

is the nature of strategy, Tura. The element of unpredictability is inherent to its working."

"Yes, Preceptor," she said respectfully, and left.

* * *

Just before entering the doorfield, Tura paused for a moment and looked back at the

Preceptor. He was turned away from her now, back to studying the holo tank.

There was fondness in her eyes, as well as deep respect. The old Preceptor was a

splendid commander, and in all respects. The greatest of the Bond's strategists, even if,

officially, only one of five members of the Strategy Circle. But, also, someone who

invariably treated his subordinates with courtesy and dignity.

Tura had no doubt at all he would order her death in a moment, if he thought it

necessary. The Preceptor was perhaps the most ruthless Jao in existence. But that

knowledge only brought further admiration. If he found it necessary to do so, she was

quite sure he would be right.

* * *

As she passed through the doorfield, she sternly corrected herself, remembering one

of the Preceptor's maxims.

He would probably be right. Strategy did not deal in absolutes.

PART I:

Firsts

Chapter 1

Aille krinnu ava Pluthrak found Terra a world of unharmonious contrasts. His ears,

set low and back on his skull, swiveled to take in the nearby murmur of the sea, along

with the unnerving screeches of an avian lifeform native to his new posting.

Windward, water of a startling blue lapped at a pale expanse of sand, while,

heartward, unbridled green plant growth vied with the graceless piles of stone and glass

that guarded the periphery of the great Jao military base. In front of one building, several

rectangles of red and gold fabric had been secured to the top of a pole. Even from here,

he could hear the cloth snapping in the breeze. Bizarre, but he supposed they must serve

some purpose.

The compact, elegant ship behind him radiated heat from its descent through the

atmosphere, its engines ticking as they cooled. His favorite kochan-mother, Trit, had

thought the vessel too showy for one as newly emerged as Aille. But Meku, the current

kochanau, had said Pluthrak must maintain its status for all to see. The more so since the

Governor of Terra was Oppuk krinnu ava Narvo—a scion of Narvo kochan, with whom

Pluthrak kochan's relations were very strained.

Exhilarated at finally having the opportunity to be of use, Aille attenuated his

perception of the moment's flow in order to better take in his new surroundings. The

wind-tossed waves slowed to languid, enticing swells and reminded him that he'd had no

opportunity to swim since leaving Marit An. His ship was equipped with adequate

sanitary facilities, but not the luxury of an actual pool. After the long trip, his skin felt

desiccated, his nap stiff, and his whiskers reduced to lifeless strings. He longed to

immerse himself in this new sea, despite its alien scent, and sluice the accumulated dregs

of travel away.

First, however, he must officially accept his new command. Later, when the flow of

arrival was complete, he would indulge himself.

The yellow sun of this solar system beat down, brighter than Nir, his homeworld's

star, which was farther along in the main sequence. He gazed out past the base's

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TheCourseofEmpirebyEricFlintandK.D.WentworthThisisaworkoffiction.Allthecharactersandeventsportrayedinthisbookarefictional,andanyresemblancetorealpeopleorincidentsispurelycoincidental.Copyright©2003byEricFlintandK.D.WentworthAllrightsreserved,includingtherighttoreproducethisbookorportionsthereofina...

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Eric Flint & K. D. Wentworth - The Course of Empire

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