Free TFS Theseus: The Terran Fleet Command Saga – Book 2 by Tori Harris Page B

victors who do so,” Naftur said gravely. “In any event, the outright destruction of the Resistance task force may well push the Sajeth Collective in the direction of an outright declaration of war against Terra.”
    “I hope you have some ideas regarding how we might go about overcoming that particular challenge, Admiral Naftur, because this sounds like what we commonly refer to as a ‘no-win situation’ to me.”
    “That concept is … unfamiliar to me,” Naftur replied with a tilt of his head, “but the strategy I believe most likely to yield an outcome beneficial to both sides is to locate those ships and do what we must to prevent the attack altogether. Failing that, there may be few, if any, options available other than defending your world by whatever means necessary. If that occurs, we must then be prepared to move quickly to intervene with the more reasonable members of the Governing Council in hopes of avoiding an all-out war.”
    “Very well. Although I am reluctant to ask for more bad news at this point, please continue to your third topic.”
    Naftur looked at his Terran hosts in turn, as if to assess whether they possessed the mettle to deal effectively with the potentially world-altering decisions now facing them. “Unfortunately, my friends,” he sighed, “the last piece of information I have for you also has potentially grave consequences, but it is unclear what, if anything, we can do to address it. As you know, the Sajeth Collective has amassed a significant amount of data regarding the Pelarans and their cultivation program. Although the process has some variation, depending on the species involved, it does appear to proceed along a somewhat predictable path. We have also been able to identify certain tools and tactics used consistently by the Pelarans. Our assumption, of course, is that the program has been implemented so many times that it has become routine to some extent. We have noted, for example, that the Guardian spacecraft will occasionally intervene when unexpected events threaten to derail the process.  Otherwise, it tends to remain largely passive. One notable exception involves the communications devices that are used to disseminate highly sensitive information. I trust these devices are being used on Terra as well?”
    Admiral White glanced at the Commander in Chief for confirmation that discussing such highly classified information, even in general terms, was something they were prepared to do with a high-ranking military officer from another world. Sexton furrowed his brow, then nodded his tacit approval, keenly aware that they were unlikely to reveal anything about the cultivation program that the Wek officer didn’t already know. White smiled politely at Naftur before continuing, “The devices to which you refer are informally called ‘talkies’ on Earth. The Pelarans have used them as a means of compartmentalizing the most classified information. They are also used as a means of ensuring multinational cooperation, since key pieces of data are communicated only to specific individuals located in different countries.”
    “The devices are genetically coded to the intended recipient,” Sexton added. “We don’t really understand how the biometric scan works in any detail. Unlike most of the other technology shared by the Pelarans, the schematics for building these devices provided only enough information to complete their assembly. I can also tell you that they are damned effective at preventing anyone else from accessing them or eavesdropping on the data streams — and I can promise you it’s not for lack of trying,” he said, smiling wanly.
    “Yes,” Naftur nodded, “this is indeed consistent with what has been observed on other cultivated worlds. Are you aware that the devices are capable of two-way communication?”
    “We considered that it might be possible. In fact, I believe the original plans included what our engineers thought to be a type of