Free Counterstrike (Black Fleet Trilogy, Book 3) by Joshua Dalzelle Page B

Phage the same sort of compassion you’re willing to show your fellow humans?”
    “I’m not going to lie to you and I think you already know the answer to your question,” Jackson stared into the other’s eyes. “If you give me the means, I will destroy the Phage. I will do the thing that you cannot bring yourself to do. Instead of skirmishes and meaningless holding actions I will take the fight to them and make sure that there isn’t another species that falls before them.”
    “Your directness is shocking, Captain,” Setsi said. “Would you feel no remorse for your actions?”
    “More than you’d ever know,” Jackson said. “But this is what I do, Setsi. My goal is not to return to a peaceful life without the Phage, I don’t even expect to survive the coming fight. My goal is to make sure that nobody else has to come after me and make the hard decisions that I wouldn’t.”
    Setsi just stared at him, motionless, for several moments.
    “We have decided to grant you your wish,” it said finally. “But it will not be easy and it may turn out to actually be impossible by this point.”
    “I can’t imagine that,” Jackson said. “A whole fleet of those ships you have and—”
    “We will not be providing direct military support,” Setsi raised its hand. “Your instincts regarding our motivations have been more accurate than you likely realize, but we are still not able to make that leap, give up all that we are, and actively participate in what amounts to extermination.”
    “I see,” Jackson said, waiting to see just what the Vruahn were offering.
    “What we can give you is knowledge,” Setsi said. “Colonel Blake believes he knows the location of the Phage core, the main neural center that controls them all, but this is imprecise. We are willing to turn over all the exact data we have on the core as well as how to defeat it. As I said, Captain … it will not be easy.”
    “If there’s any possibility then we have to try,” Jackson said. “Will Colonel Blake and his squadron at least be permitted to aid us?”
    “I will speak to Colonel Blake shortly,” Setsi evaded the question. “I must be honest, Captain … this was not a unanimous decision. There are many who do not wish for your success. We will need to act quickly before those voices are able to gain too many allies.”
    “So why are you helping us?” Jackson asked.
    “Trillions upon trillions of beings have suffered and died because of our arrogance,” Setsi said after another long pause. “While we justified our inaction we failed to see that it was also our responsibility to address the Phage simply because we were the only ones able to do so. Farewell, Captain. I do hope that you find some measure of peace in your own life before your task is concluded.”
    Jackson left the chamber confused and contemplating what in the hell Setsi had meant about their ‘responsibility’ when he passed Colonel Blake by the airlock.
    “Here to escort me the rest of the way, Colonel?” Jackson asked.
    “Not exactly, Captain,” Blake fidgeted. “I’ve been ordered to speak face to face with Setsi.”
    “I take it this is an unusual request?”
    “It is,” Blake said.
    “Interesting.” Jackson wasn’t sure why Blake seemed so apprehensive.
    He continued to be troubled by the relationship the crew of the Carl Sagan had with the Vruahn. Setsi had more or less admitted that they’d been using humans as their personal attack dogs and Blake, despite having served in his current role for damn near a century, seemed to be almost fearful of his Vruahn handlers. Again … the attack dog analogy was becoming more and more apt.
    The more he thought about it, the more Jackson was pretty sure he didn’t like the Vruahn. There was an arrogance and smugness he’d detected in Setsi about the arrangement they had with Blake and his crew that didn’t sit well with him. It certainly wasn’t a partnership born out of mutual need, and from what