The End of All Things: The Fourth Instalment by John Scalzi

conversation should be about how you’ve wiped them out already,” Sorvalh said.
    “It’s more complicated than that,” Abumwe said.
    “We know where their new base is, but their fleet—the fleet with which they intend to wipe out Earth—isn’t there,” I said. “They’re showing cautiousness.”
    “So even if the Colonial Union destroyed the base, Earth would still be vulnerable to attack,” Lowen said.
    “That’s why we need the attack to proceed,” Abumwe said. “Draw out the ships over Earth, and simultaneously destroy Equilibrium at their base. Leave nowhere for either element to go.”
    “I’m still not clear how this involves the Conclave,” Sorvalh said.
    “We can’t do both,” I said. “Equilibrium will only act if it’s confident the Colonial Union has no way to respond to their attack on Earth. We need to commit a substantial portion of our CDF fleet to give the appearance we’re threatening the nine planets declaring their independence. We need to be seen taking ships away from the skip drive line, to make it look like it would take days for our ships to respond to an attack on Earth. We also have to have enough ships to immediately respond to Equilibrium’s attack, hidden where it would not think to look for them. We need to be sure we have enough ships to keep even a single nuke from making it to the Earth’s atmosphere. That means generously overestimating the number of ships we need.”
    “So you’ll need the Conclave to attack the Equilibrium base,” Oi said.
    “Yes,” Abumwe said. “And we want you to allow us to hide a fleet in Conclave space, at skip distance, so we can respond immediately to the Equilibrium attack on Earth. We don’t believe Equilibrium will look for our fleet in your space.”
    “That means trusting you not to attack whatever system we’d put you in,” Oi said.
    “You don’t have to trust us,” Abumwe said. “Put whatever protections you like on us. Just give us a place to park our fleet.”
    “And you?” Sorvalh turned her attention to Lowen. “It’s still the general consensus on your planet that the Colonial Union engineered the attack on Earth Station and killed thousands, including much of your global diplomatic corps. You’re telling me that the Earth trusts them, ” she flicked a hand to encompass Abumwe and me, “to protect you from annihilation.”
    “It wasn’t an easy sale, no,” Lowen admitted. “This is where the Conclave comes in again. Our assent for this plan is contingent on your acceptance. If you don’t trust the Colonial Union, we don’t trust it.”
    “And what then?” Sorvalh asked. “What if I don’t, in fact, trust it?”
    “Then we give you everything we have on the attack,” Abumwe said. “We give it to you and pray that, despite your recent actions, you are willing to protect the Earth. You did before. Your predecessor General Gau did, at the very least.”
    “We wouldn’t do that out of the goodness of our souls,” Sorvalh said. “If we intervened to the benefit of the Earth, you can assume that we would no longer be dissuaded from pulling it into our sphere of influence. So, Ambassador, you’re asking me to believe that the Colonial Union could accept that,” Sorvalh said. “And even accept possibly in time allowing the Earth to join the Conclave.”
    “The Colonial Union accepts at this point that the Earth is lost to us,” Abumwe said, nodding at Lowen. “We have told as much to the governments on Earth that will still speak to us. It will no longer be the captive source of our soldiers and colonists. We are now beginning to make the changes that will allow us to survive in this new reality. That being the case, we no longer factor the Earth’s participation, voluntary or otherwise, into our plans. We do not want to see it as part of the Conclave. But better the Earth is in the Conclave than destroyed. It is humanity’s home, Premier.”
    Sorvalh nodded and turned to Oi. “Your