In the heady world of cutting-edge technology and its uber-popular devices, there are a couple of super powers. Their satellites orbit the cynosure of a particular operating system, and in the galaxy of mobility, there are two big ones: Apple’s IOS (with its iPhones and iPads) and Google’s Android (pretty much all the other devices.) This universe suffered a big bang last week when Apple won a patent suit against Samsung, which makes a number of phones that use the Android OS.

The jury found that Samsung had infringed on Apple’s proprietary technology and awarded the Cupertino-based computer giant more than $1 billion in damages (an amount that could be tripled if the judge in the case finds the patent thievery was deliberate.)

Many have wondered why Apple didn’t just sue Google and that question still hangs in the air.

Before he died, Apple founder and guru Steve Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson that Android was “stolen” and we can just guess who he meant it was stolen from.

So why hasn’t Apple sued Google? Why did they go after a small fish like Samsung (in the world of tech monsters, Samsung is large but not in the same weight class as Apple and Google.)

Many people have their theories, but some news this week may explain the rationale behind Apple’s legal strategy.

Word is that the CEOs of the two companies are talking — to each other — about their patent problems. A Bloomberg story says these are “private” talks and that the duo (Apple’s Tim Cook and Google’s Larry Page) plan to have further discussions.

Is this the longterm Apple strategy? Pick off one of your foe’s allies as a warning and then get the big guy to sit down and talk terms of surrender?

Time will tell. But Wall Street seems to have an early line on Apple’s chances of winning concessions. Its stock is up 65% this year; Google’s rose just 5.5% in the same time.

Tags: Apple, Google, Larry Page, patents, Tim Cook