“Backwards, again,” Tam said. “Here’s the truth as far as anyone can determine without lie detectors. The Darhel arranged the hack. Taylor had come to the same conclusion. The Darhel assassinated him, or rather had him assassinated. Cyber, in retaliation, took out five major Darhel on Earth along with some of the Darhel assassin groups. Cyber was assisted by still another group called the Bane Sidhe. When it was all over the Darhel agreed to not attack human military personnel nor interfere in a direct fashion in military affairs. The Cybers and Bane Sidhe agreed to not assassinate any more Darhel. And we agreed to stop investigating the background of the Federation.”

“That is insane!” Mike said.

“More like xenic,” Tam said, frowning. “It actually made the Darhel rather happy. We were acting like Darhel.”

“That’s sort of what I mean,” Mike said. “Why the hell are we dealing with these bastards?”

“Oh, it’s worse than that,” Wes said. “The Darhel worked very hard to make sure we nearly lost the war. They’re afraid of us, Mike. Very afraid. And they should be. They can’t fight. So they have tried very hard to neuter us militarily just like they neutered the Indowy politically. They’ve completely coopted the Fleet. Fleet Strike is the only remaining really functional military unit. They can’t get rid of us completely. The Posleen remain a threat, even if a much reduced one. They need us to keep making sure they don’t reconstruct. But they don’t want us to be a real power. Humans in general and Fleet Strike in particular.”

“That’s why they’re cutting back on the ACS,” Mike said. “Well, they’d better. Because if I had my druthers I’d wipe them the fuck out. For Daleville if nothing else.”

“So would I,” Wesley said. “But we can’t and you know it. They’re the nerve system of the Federation. Take them out and it would become total chaos. So we have to live with them. They don’t assassinate our military personnel, including most particularly generals, and humans don’t declare open war on the Darhel. At which point that group I mentioned, the Bane Sidhe, become of rather greater importance.”