“Does General Gau still intend to bring the humans into the Conclave?” Hado asked.
“You know as well as I do that the general never lobbies a species to join the Conclave,” I said. “He merely shows them the advantages and allows them to ask, if they are interested.”
“That’s a nice fiction,” Hado said. He swallowed his niti and reached for another.
“If the humans asked to join the Conclave—if either of the human governments asked to join the Conclave, because as you know there is more than one—then they would go through the same process as everyone else has.”
“For which the general would heavily place his support for the humans.”
“I would imagine only to the extent he has done for any of our species, including the Elpri, Representative Hado. You may recall him standing in the well of the Grand Assembly, praising your people at the time of the vote.”
“For which of course I offer him many thanks.”
“As you should,” I said. “As should every member state of our Conclave. In point of fact, to date, the general has welcomed every species who has asked to join and was willing to accept the terms of union. I wonder why you would think—if in fact either human government wanted to join our union—that the general would do otherwise.”
“It’s because I know something about the humans that the general does not.”
“Secret information?” I said, and reached for one of my own tidbits. “With all due respect, Representative, your track record on secret information regarding the humans is spotty.”
Hado offered what to anyone else would appear to be a genial smile. “I am well aware that I have a history of falling into the traps that you’ve set for me, Councilor. But between ourselves let’s not pretend that we don’t know what really happened.”
“I’m not entirely sure I catch your meaning,” I said, pleasantly.
“Have it your way,” Hado said, and then reached into his vest to pull out a data module. He placed it on my desk between us.
“Is this your secret information?” I asked.
“It’s not secret, just not well known. Yet.”
“Will you give me a précis, or should I just plug it into my computer?”
“You should look at all of it,” Hado said. “But the short version is that a whistleblower from the Colonial Union has released information on all of the Colonial Union’s military and intelligence operations for the last several of their decades. Including the destruction of our fleet at Roanoke, the attacks on Conclave ships and planets using pirated Conclave member trade ships, biological experimentation on Conclave citizens, and the attack on Earth Station.”
I picked up the data module. “How was this whistleblower able to procure all this information?”
“He was an undersecretary of the Colonial Union’s State Department.”
“I don’t suppose this undersecretary is available to us.”
“My understanding is that the Colonial Union reacquired him,” Hado said. “If the Colonials’ standard practices hold, if he’s not already dead, he’s a brain suspended in a jar.”
“I’m curious how this information came to you, Representative Hado.”
“I got it this morning by diplomatic courier drone from Elpri,” Hado said. “The information has been readily available there for an Elprian day. The information was apparently released widely. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re offered the information by others, including your own planetary government, Councilor. Nor would I be surprised if it’s offered to the Conclave itself by the end of the sur.”
“We don’t know if this information is reliable, is what you’re telling me.”
“What I’ve read of it—which has been the most recent events, primarily—seems accurate,” Hado said. “It explains at the very least why we’ve been losing trade and cargo ships, and how the Colonial Union has been using them against us.”
“It might not surprise you to know that the Colonial Union has maintained their own civilian ships have been pirated.”
“I won’t deny I am not fond of humanity, but that isn’t to say that I think they are stupid,” Hado said. “Of course they would be doing a magnificent job of obfuscating their plans.”
“And what are their plans, Representative Hado?” I asked.
“The destruction of the Conclave, obviously,” Hado said. “They tried and failed at Roanoke Colony. They are trying again by using our own trade ships against us.”
“At that rate they should topple us at about the same time as the heat death of the universe,” I said.
“It’s not the physical damage. It’s persisting despite the obvious strength of the Conclave.”
“And attacking Earth Station?” I said. “How does that relate to the Conclave?”
“The Colonial Union has denied the attack. Who else should Earth think could orchestrate it?”
“But you don’t want the humans in the Conclave in any event.”