98 Negotiation.
As the sun rose above the horizon, Major Baker entered the control room, where Shi Lang sat in the command chair. He slept the entire night in the chair. Shi Lang stood up from his chair when he felt someone approaching him, and after confirming that it was Major Baker, he asked, “Is it time yet?”
“It is time, Sir,” Major Baker said, nodding.
They were about to meet with the native government leaders, and the major had come over to ask Shi Lang to accompany him in a helicopter convoy. After all, they couldn’t afford to lose when it came to demonstrating how prosperous their civilization was.
They made their way through the base and arrived at the transportation zone.
Shi Lang gave the order, “Have the inmates shackled and transferred to the same chopper as mine.
They are accompanying us.”
Major Baker was taken aback at this point. He did not, however, dare to question the orders.
Last night, he used his connections to conduct a cross-check through the ranks and discovered that the Higher Command had indeed given the secret division the authority to deal with this scene as they saw fit, with only the results mattering, and the result must be peace between the two parties.
Major Baker replied, “Yes, Sir.”
The soldiers reacted quickly and dragged the still slightly dizzy inmates to the helicopter.
All five of them were restrained. They didn’t resemble their previous cheerful and permed selves.
They had put up a lot of resistance and stated their ranks profusely when they were pushed to the transportation zone. The struggle ended when they saw the man in the black hood and pants standing in front of them.
For those who committed crimes while wearing federal army uniforms, the black dress was a synonym for death. They had come to realize that it was the end for them as they watched Shi Lang stare at them with a mask that concealed everything and gave off an ominous vibe.
Major Baker personally ensured that the five people boarded the chopper. Shi Lang waited for them to be properly tied down before saying, “Take off.” His tone was cool but calm.
The five people sat on the seats, their heads bowed. They’d been in service long enough to know that once they were marked by the black hoods, they’d never be able to escape. Putting up resistance, such a thought would lead them and those close to them to the depths of hell and pain. Even criminals do not want their close ones to suffer.
Shi Lang remained silent throughout the ride. His mind was racing with the potential arguments and situations they would face once they arrived at the Native government council. The chopper landed on a patch of open ground near the Council building, and the ride came to an end when the pilot was allowed to land.
Shi Lang was the first to disembark, followed by three Terran soldiers holding phasor guns and dressed in assaulter class gear. Major Bekar followed with five shackled people.
“Guard the captives; they are not to make any noise,” he said.
The soldiers did not respond with words, but rather with actions. Shi Lang was led ahead by Major Baker. A group of twenty ladies stood in the distance, ten wearing glorious gowns and dresses and the other ten wearing armor, giving off a heroic vibe. The empresses and their knight guards were among them.
Major Baker and Shi Lang approached them and said, “Greetings Your Excellencies, I am Major Bennet Baker, and this person is our temporary representative, Commander Ace.”
Shi Lang used his alias here. “Greetings, your excellencies,” he said as he looked at the ladies and bowed slightly.
“Please accept my apologies for the losses and pain these maggots have caused you; I am embarrassed to say that they are a part of my race. They are also the gifts I would like to present to you; please use them as you see fit. I came up one short because the prime accused, took his life, but you can have the shriveled corpse if you wish to.”
Everyone, including the ladies and Major Baker, was taken aback when he jumped right into the topic. Shi Lang didn’t even give them a chance to respond before continuing, “You’re probably thinking that I’m a little too quick to jump into this. However, I hope you will all agree that in the current economic climate, time is not a luxury we can afford. While the planet’s original citizen is tormented and ready to take up arms. If war breaks out, you all understand the horrors of it better than I do. I hope we can all agree on a common goal here.”
An elder lady spoke, “Commander Ace, I for one appreciate you speaking open-mindedly with us. However, do you not think, you will lose the momentum by taking the lead?”
Shi Lang let out a chuckle and said, “When you seek peace, you do not need momentum but patience, Your Majesty. Am I wrong?”
The ladies were all surprised once more. The old lady nodded and said, “Please come inside the meeting hall, we shall discuss it there.”
Shi Lang nodded and turned to face Major Baker, he said, “Take off their uniforms and hand them over to the authorities here.”
His words were intended for the five captives, and Major Baker was smart enough to pick up the hint. He moved quickly and got things done, while Shi Lang headed to the meeting hall along with the ladies. He noticed that the building decoration was all very sophisticated. It took them a few minutes to reach the said meeting hall.
The setup was similar to the conference hall in the office buildings on the federation. He did not sit down until the ladies did. Shi Lang was wearing a mask and one of the Empress could not help but ask, “Why do you wear this mask?”
Shi Lang replied, “My division is not very liked by the frontier forces, so the mask helps us ward evil and hide demons.” his replies amused the ladies.
They have usually only met with men who would follow protocols and stuff, this was the first time they have met such an unorthodox person. They did not know that all this was being done on a purpose. Shi Lang’s goofy behavior made them lower their guards around him. The group chatted about trivia and the atmosphere shifted.
Shi Lang found an opportunity and asked, “Your Majesties, may I ask, what do you think about maintaining peace on the terms set in the old treaty.”
His words abruptly changed the topic and a lady raised her hand and said, “Commander Ace, we do not think it is fair to continue the old terms, after all, the damage we have suffered in the past few years was not the part of the agreement and it was your kind, who did this.”
Shi Lang nodded but he stayed silent, another empress chimed in, “I agree with Empress Vivian, we need to redraw the agreement.”
The fellow empresses also put forward the same thing. Shi Lang watched the situation and after the ladies stopped speaking, he turned his head to look at Xenon, who was sitting closest to him, and asked, “Your Majesty, do you not have any opinion to put forward?”
Xenon turned to look at him and was about to say something when the old lady said, “She is the youngest among us, and she has a lot to learn yet. I wonder that is why she choose silence.”
Shi Lang chuckled and his chuckle turned into a burst of laughter, such an expression was undoubtedly rude. However, before the ladies in the higher position could get angry, Shi Lang said, “I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but you have a very deep misunderstanding here.”
His words raised a lot of eyebrows, Shi Lang said, “I hope for the sake of peace, what I am about to say now, does not go outside these walls.”
The atmosphere turned solemn all of a sudden, and Shi Lang carried on, “The reason these five people were convicted was only possible because of the help provided by Her Majesty, Empress Xenon. You all should be thankful that she is young enough to muster up her courage and fight for the sake of her people without seeking any credits for it.”
His words set a wave of shock among the older ladies. He did not stop though and said, “You might be wanting to seek evidence to support my claim, well here you go.”
He manipulated his communicator and a holographic recording of the scene between him and Xenon began to play. After the recording finished, Shi Lang said, “I hope you all now understand, what might happen if the recording was to go out.”
This time, his words were enough to intimidate the council. Xenon stood up and said, “I never seemed anything other than respect. Like all your husbands, my husband also gave his life. It might sound a bit too much, but other than our blessed physical capabilities, we were weaker than the outlanders, but fake pride stopped them from thinking of the race, and the way you all behave is the same as them in my eyes.”
Only now did the negotiations begin.