Ally by Karen Traviss Read Free Book Online Page A

reach them.”
    Unplanned and urgent: Esganikan understood the priority, but that still left her with one more world to restore that wasn’t on the schedule. They hadn’t even anticipated the need to intervene on Earth. “What resources can you give me to support this mission, then? Umeh can’t manage its own problems now.”
    â€œYou should have thought of that before committing troops to it.”
    â€œThe isenj asked for help, just as Hac Demil did.”
    â€œHac Demil has a restored ecology and thousands of species. Umeh is virtually sterile.”
    â€œThe planet is dying. Now they’re at war because we intervened. If we start refusing to help the willing, what does that make us? And much as I regret the decision, how can I withdraw completely now?”
    Sarmatakian didn’t appear impressed. It was hard to be sure of her mood without scent signals, but her head jiggled in visible irritation. “The planet won’t die. They will. Another kind of life will evolve and reclaim Umeh in time, as it does on every other world.”
    The adviser had never quite seen eye to eye with traditional Eqbas policy on selecting an optimum datum line for a planet’s restoration. Esganikan strongly suspected her of being a follower of Targassat’s theory of non-intervention, and that would have seemed extraordinarily archaic had she not been surrounded by Targassati wess’har on Wess’ej.
    You can’t have the power we have and not use it for the greater good. You can’t look the other way and pretend that matters will resolve themselves, because those least able to defend themselves will always succumb to the dominant and irresponsible.
    Nobody said it would be easy. Life never was.
    â€œWhat can you give me, then?”
    Sarmatakian hesitated for a second. “I have a standing offer from the overseers of Garav that they’ll commit troops to support us.”
    â€œThey’re…extreme.”
    â€œMany find us extreme. I realize you have unhappy memories of Garav.”
    â€œThe alacrity with which they embraced environmental balance after the war came as a shock.”
    â€œConverts can be more zealous than those who convert them. But Garav forces say they can be on Umeh in weeks, so consider the offer.”
    â€œZealous.” It was one word for it: the intervention on Garav was a painstaking, difficult operation that cost lives. The ecology was too delicate and complex for Eqbas forces to pound down resistance with brute force as they might on Umeh. Esganikan’s commander had gambled and led ground troops. It had been the right thing to do but it had lefther dead and Esganikan in command in a split-second burst of jask. “How many?”
    â€œA hundred thousand, perhaps.”
    Esganikan bristled. “Did you approach them?”
    â€œThey’re aware of events because we remain in touch with them. They offered.”
    The Garav forces had experience of living in a vastly altered world and seeing the benefits. They called themselves Skavu: the newly awake. Esganikan didn’t trust zeal. She preferred stable pragmatism.
    But if they could deal with Umeh, she could concentrate on Earth. “How many ships can you commit to Earth now?”
    â€œTwo more if we can recruit a full crew.”
    Six ships were already in transit to rendezvous with Esganikan: forty thousand personnel. “We need more than that to pacify a planet of billions without unnecessary destruction. We need more environmental specialists, too.”
    â€œYou can’t have more. There are no more. Not at the moment.”
    Sarmatakian wasn’t a soldier: she was a scientist. Esganikan was getting tired of explaining what resources were needed to do the job. Maybe it was time Sarmatakian spent some time on the sharp end, as Shan Frankland called it.
    â€œThen I might have to accept Garav troops for Umeh.”
    â€œThey’re keen to help.