Now the valley cried with anger,

“Mount your horses, draw your swords!”

And they killed the mountain people,

So they won their just rewards

Now they stood before the treasure

On the mountain, dark and red

Turned the stone and looked beneath it

“Peace on Earth”, was all it said.

So go ahead and hate your neighbor,

Go ahead and cheat a friend,

Do it in the name of Heaven,

You can justify it in the end.

There won't be any trumpets blowing

Come the Judgment Day,

On the bloody morning after

One tin soldier rides away.

Coven - “One Tin Soldier”

Dhyaksh Jiyazh Ghuuyaz opened his eyes, gazing at his surroundings. He was lying on a narrow cot in a small room, while a human female in a white uniform sat across from him, regarding him.

“I see you’re awake, Dhyaksh,” she informed him, as he struggled to sit up. “How are you feeling?”

“Better than I expected,” he admitted. “Who are you?”

“Admiral Hélène Fujimoto,” she replied, inclining her head. “Your counterpart. One of them, at least.”

He nodded. “You commanded the fleet.” A statement, not a question. “You learned quickly.”

“Re-learned, actually,” she said with a ghost of a smile. “We were a little out of practice.”

Jiyazh spent a few moments, taking that in. “You took a great risk, splitting your forces.”

“You didn’t leave me much choice,” she replied.

“No, I suppose not,” he agreed. He folded his arms across his chest. “So what happens now?”

Hélène rose to her feet, as any trace of humor disappeared from her face. “I convince you to stand down your forces, Dhyaksh. Without you, they are in disarray, so it would be in the best interests of everyone involved for you to give the order.”

He considered that for a moment. “And if I refuse?”

She stared down at him without a hint of mercy. “Then I destroy them.”

Jiyazh’s lip curled into a sneer. “Easier said than done.”

“I’m willing to risk it,” Hélène answered. “You’re far from home, Dhyaksh, and your fleet...what’s left of it...is the bulk of your forces. Your ships can run, rebuild, and rally for another attack, but when they return, we’ll be waiting for them.” This time it was her turn to smirk. “Our team pulled a great deal of information from your computers before they escaped.”

“So I suspected,” he replied, as he considered her demand. That she was serious he knew, though whether she could manage it was another question. She was correct about the question of leadership, but he was loath to surrender to her despite the truth of her words. His people had waited ten millennia for this day, and to see it fail now was a far greater pain than the wound in his side. “What of my warriors?” he asked. “What will become of them?”

“Above my paygrade, I’m afraid...though if you order them to stand down, I’m certain we can work something out.”

“Not much of a promise,” Jiyazh said.

“It’s no promise at all, in fact,” Hélène replied. “I won’t lie to you...there’s plenty of people who would like nothing better than have me pull the trigger and kill every one of you.” Her voice turned cold as ice. “You murdered billions of Triumvirate citizens and thousands of humans. I doubt you’ll find many advocates here.”

He leaned back against his pillow. “You wish my surrender? I will discuss it...but not with you.”

Hélène cocked her head. “Who, then?”

Jiyazh’s smile was as enigmatic as the Sphinx, as he told her.

Nassat winced as they wheeled him into the prisoner’s hospital ward. Despite all the work Raichret had put into rebuilding his hip joint, it still throbbed with a deep ache the painkillers couldn’t quite eradicate. She held his hand as they entered the small room, hovering over him as he gazed at the human admiral and the Khonhim Dhyaksh.

“You wished to see me, Ma’am?” Nassat asked.

“Not me,” she chuckled. “Him.”

His bewilderment grew by leaps and bounds as he turned to the enemy commander.

“Sergeant Nassat,” Jiyazh nodded. “We meet again.”

“Indeed so, Dhyaksh,” he replied. “You asked to speak to me?” For the life of him, he couldn’t imagine why.

“I did,” Jiyazh replied, his gaze traveling up to Raichret’s face, who was staring daggers back at him. “There is something I wish to ask you if you are willing.”

“Of course,” Nassat answered, “though if it is of a military or technical nature, they may not allow me to respond.”

Jiyazh shook his head. “Nothing like that. I only want to know one thing, Sergeant. Why? Why did you not kill me, when you had the chance?”

Nassat blinked in surprise. “Because I did not wish to,” he answered. He winced again, though this time it was because of the grip Raichret had on his hand. He looked up at her, making a small noise in his throat to draw her attention away from the prisoner. She flushed as she bowed her head, loosening her handhold on him...an exchange that did not pass unnoticed by Jiyazh.

“I ask for a reason, Sergeant,” Jiyazh said. “We came here to right an ancient wrong, and I know that had our situations been reversed, I would not have hesitated to finish you.” Raichret’s death glare returned with a vengeance, and he nodded in understanding. “I doubt your companion would have spared me...so why did you?”

Nassat wondered if anyone else knew about the incident in surgery. If not, he had no intention of bringing it up now...not in front of witnesses. “No...she would not have spared you,” he admitted, though there was no hint of condemnation in his voice. “She lost her family to your warriors. Can you blame her for her anger?”

“No...in fact, I understand her hatred of my kind. Perhaps better than you realize.” Jiyazh acknowledged Raichret with a brief bow, and while it did not mollify her animosity towards him she did at least dial it back somewhat. “But you have yet to answer my question, Sergeant.”

“I...am uncertain how to put it into words, Dhyaksh, but I will try,” Nassat said. “I was not raised to be a soldier; in fact, I had chosen a life of contemplation, as an Acolyte.” Jiyazh regarded his response with some surprise while he continued. “Our people have only known peace for as long as we can remember, and when you brought death and destruction to us, many surrendered to despair. It was the humans who showed us how to fight,” he informed him, indicating Hélène, “and while their efforts saved our people from certain annihilation, we are not them. I fought because I had to, because they gave me no choice, and because it was necessary...but when this war is over no one will be more thankful than I.” Nassat shrugged. “I do not hate you, Dhyaksh. Others do, and perhaps I should as well, but I do not. I hate what you have done, but that is not the same thing...and if I can stay my hand without putting others at risk, then I will always choose life over death.”

Jiyazh was silent for some time, as he digested Nassat’s words. Finally, he turned back to Admiral Fujimoto, who had remained silent during their exchange. “What do you ask of me?” he said at last.

“A Cease Fire, to start,” she said at once. “An immediate cessation of hostilities, as both sides fall back to their initial lines. When that’s been confirmed, your forces withdraw from the surface...under observation, of course.”

“And once we surrender the planet?” Jiyazh pressed her. “My ships are still in orbit overhead, and they are still armed.”

Hélène grimaced. “That’s where it gets complicated, I’m afraid. I imagine that my superiors have some definite ideas on what they’ll want to see happen...but I cannot allow you to keep your ship’s weapons. That, Dhyaksh, is non-negotiable.”

Jiyazh’s nostrils flared in sudden defiance. “And what do you offer us in return, Admiral? You ask my warriors to bare their throats to your blade, but what assurances do you give us you will allow us to depart in peace?”

The temperature of the room dropped to somewhere just shy of Absolute Zero. “I never said a thing about allowing you to leave, Dhyaksh,” she said without a hint of compassion in her voice. “As long as your fleet is intact, it is a threat. I’m afraid you’re not going anywhere without my approval...and if we decide on a location, I will escort you under the guns of my fleet.”

His sneer returned. “So you can march us off somewhere, out of sight of your citizens, to be executed like so much livestock? My warriors and I would rather die with our blades in our hands than suffer that ignominy. You may kill us...but I will not allow you to dishonor us with an animal’s death.”

“It is all you deserve,” Raichret spat out, her every word dripping with venom...while Nassat watched in horror as the fragile peace they’d started began to fall apart at the seams.

“Dhyaksh,” he said, “no one wishes to see you slaughtered...not now, at least. You said you understood why those like Raichret hated you, so you must understand why we are cautious to grant you parole. There must be some middle ground we can find, that both sides can accept?” he asked.

“Sergeant,” Hélène said, ”you are here as a courtesy. I suggest you remember that.”

“No...let him speak,” Jiyazh interjected. “You say you wish to end hostilities...and you are able to enforce your will for the moment...but there is a limit how far I will be pushed. Either we find this ‘Middle Ground’ he spoke of...or we fight this battle until the bitter end.”

The human and the Khonhim glared at one another, as Nassat cleared his throat. “Admiral...he agreed to the ceasefire. Perhaps we could start there? It will take time for those like Minister Singh to arrive here from the capitol, but if we can stop the dying, would that not be a valuable beginning?”

Hélène’s expression was like chewing on broken glass. “If your ships agree to stand down and move out of range of the planet...with my fleet as an escort.”

“Only as far as the L5 Lagrange point,” he countered. “I will not leave my warriors without means to return home.”

She still had a sour look but gave a curt nod. “Agreed...pending verification.”

“Agreed,” Jiyazh acknowledged. “I also have one additional request.” The Admiral looked as if she would balk before Jiyazh pointed to Nassat. “I wish the sergeant to be present during negotiations, as a neutral party.”

Fujimoto snorted. “Neutral? He’s one of ours.”

“Perhaps...but there is wisdom in his words.” He turned to look at Nassat, who stared back in astonishment. “I believe he wishes to find peace...and he has the courage to stand his ground.”

Hélène turned to give Nassat an appraising look. “Agreed,” she said, as a wry smile appeared on her face.

Nassat’s head whipped back and forth as the others discussed his fate, before looking at Raichret. “Why does this keep happening to me?” he asked plaintively.

“Maybe next time you’ll shoot him,” she snorted, as the other two broke out into laughter.