Chapter 26; The Prodigal Returns
Their time had now come. The ships of the rebel Seventh Fleet were now either running or captured daily. The Council of Emperors was consolidating their hold on the old empire territories. Keeth was running out of places to run. War Lords who had pledged allegiance to Heren with drew their pledge from Keeth. He was little more than a pirate running in space.
Royal troop counts were burgeoning. Adding the released Fleet Marines to re-captured Dagaz prisoners, The Crown sported over ten million trained warriors. Eighty percent of the old empire was now firmly in the hands of the Royal Forces. They had re-taken the twenty ships that Keeth had left as a cordon. They were now added to the Royal fleet and on their way back to Arth for refitting with new technology.
Baraz now had time for the funeral that he had been unable to face. The youngest grandson went to see the oldest male of the family, "General,… uh, Grampa… would you assist me?"
"Yes, Sire. I will see to the arrangements." He turned to an aide and barked, "How is the processing of returnees going?"
"With the Seventh Fleet's computers, sir, we are able to do about ten thousand per hour. We should be done in about eighteen more hours at this rate."
"Carry on, Captain. We shall be on the Royal Funeral Barge paying our respects to the fallen heroes of these last three battles. Call me if there is anything to report."
He turned and slowly made his way to the Blue Team Hangar through the loading bay to escort his two grandsons, one just ending his reign and one just beginning his.
"I sure don't envy that old man," he said to the yeoman next to him, "what a load he has to carry today." The yeoman looked after the old man they all loved so much and just nodded. Turning back to the next person in the scanning booth, he looked up ad nearly fell out of his chair.
"Well, my good fellow, am I in or not?" said the stranger.
“Name?” he intoned in a bored voice.
“Arin and Siri Menzi and baby son, in utero”
“That’s not funny, soldier…” but the man looked at the long haired man in the ragged uniform closely.
The yeoman fell to one knee and grabbed his hand, "Sire, how can this be? You're alive! I saw the Royal Barge blow up myself before we hit Star Speed at Starion III. How is it that you made it?"
"Some one died saving me, son. I awoke to find myself on the Hospital Barge with my head wrapped from a burn I had received. I will explain more later. Now, tell me, how goes the war?"
"For the first time, I can say that it goes well, sire. In three straight decisive victories, we have gutted the enemies of the Crown and routed Keeth. We hope it is for good. But, now, Your Majesty. I must ask you to please hurry through that loading dock. On the hangar outside of it are several people there who need to see you desperately. You, Frain, show this man to the Funeral Barge immediately!"
“And my wife, sir…”
“Delighted to meet you, Your Majesty as well, but please hurry! Your brother Danil will take his last ride, Sire.”
“Shall we go, Gunny?”
"Aye, aye, sir. Please come this way." Gunnery Sergeant Frain looked at this ragged man standing before him. They looked the same age. Why all the fuss over this prisoner more than the others? He kept watch on the man and his wife, but four years in prison left little to be told about them.
The first corner they turned, they found a contingent of Royal Guards men moving smartly toward them escorting Lady Lea to the Funeral Barge. All of a sudden, Lea and Marx stopped as if frozen in place. Lea looked like she had seen a ghost. With a whoop, Lea launched herself at her nephew and best friend since childhood, landing in his arms.
Manx recognized him as well, “Emperor on the deck!” In a swift move, he knelt. All the Guardians were on one knee with heads bowed in salute. The gunny just stood there in shock.
"On your knee before the Emperor, swine!" growled the Captain.
"No, no comrades," Arin said putting Lea down. "We have no time for this. We must be about our sad business. But, first, Lady Lea, please honor my wife."
Lea hugged her new cousin in law and a much happier group hurried on down the wide busy corridor. As they passed, people cheered, applauded or just knelt.
Pedra, Baraz and General Z were standing at the loading port of the hangar deck. Pedra was jumping coffin after coffin into her null void storage. The Mara was serving today as the Funeral Barge. The General's arm was resting lightly on the young man's shoulders as they supervised this process. They were disturbed by a commotion coming down the ramp.
At a time like this, they did not expect to hear cheering. They turned to face the noise. They were surprised to see a bearded, bedraggled yeoman approached them hlding the hand of a shy, tiny Taurian woman. They were followed by a clapping, singing throng of men and women. As the man got closer, the General saw who it was and beamed.
All of a sudden, without any word, the emperor of all the known worlds was miraculously transformed into exactly what he wanted to be all along, Baraz Menzi, an eighteen year old boy with a heavy heart. He grabbed his older brother like a child around the middle of his chest and cried.
“Arin…Arin… Arin…” was all he could say.
The old man grabbed them both and cried also, but for a different reason. “Behold,” he said aloud, “More of our family had survived this horrible holocaust.”
The people cheered. He continued, ”Through these years of civil war, they have hunted us down through out the galaxy. So many of my beloved children and grand children have fallen to these usurpers. Here is a gift that is more than I could ever have wished for.”
The crowd gathered around them all and cheered. Baraz said, “This has turned out to be a truly great day for the Empire.”
Arin turned to the row of caskets, to face his grim mask. This was his most hated duty and his most important. His brother's casket was still open. He knelt by the still form of his younger brother. He took his cold hand in his two warm ones. He raised the still fingers to his lips. "I will miss you, my brother. I vow to all that that bastard Keeth and his pirate scum will pay for everything they have taken from us and our people. Rest well, you have done a good job ad earned this sleep." Siri just stood by him with her hand on his head.
All around him people cried for the fallen. The General lifted his grandsons away as they closed the pod. The row of caskets was then gently moved into the shuttle and the throng went to their places. The official mourners entered the craft and others returned to the jobs that they had left. The camouflaged gates swung open with a hiss of hydraulics and shifting sand. The shuttle headed for space silently moving into position near the larger of the twin suns.
As the entourage watched on viddy screens, one by one the pods shimmered into solidity as they were jumped out to space. On each one, a tiny rocket fired to send them silently drifting toward their fiery grave. Danil was last. They all joined hands as the dead Emperor’s burial tube’s rocket caught fire for that last, short voyage.
"Well, Sire.” Said Baraz to Arin, “Would you like to inspect the fleet while we are up here? I assure you that they are freshly stolen. They were the finest ships that the Admiralty had to offer. Up until a week ago, that is." As the newest Admiral of the Fleet, Baraz was anxious to show off for his older brother. As tired as he was, Arin wanted his baby brother to know how proud he was of them all for the great victories that they had won here.
"Yes, Baraz, I would like that very much. First, we must find Siri. She saved my life, healed my burns, got me false ID and most important, little brother, she carries your Royal nephew and is my Empress."
The family crowded around their new found Emperor and hugs ad kisses of congratulation were exchanged. Pedra hugged him and whispered in his ear, “Would you like to see something really excellent, Your Majesty?”
“More witch craft, Lady Pedra?”
“I am yours to command, Sire.”
“Okay, what is it?” She touched a switch and
he disappeared. In an instant, he shimmered back into view with his hair trimmed, his beard gone, and sparkling new clothes.
“Wow…that will make getting ready for work quicker in he morning.” They all laughed.
"We have had so little to laugh about at this Base for so many months," said their grandfather, "Would you permit a Royal Holiday, Sire."
"I am afraid we will have no choice, now will we, grandfather?" This banter was more than show. These two men were possibly the happiest men in the entire universe.
His grandfather grinned at the exchange. Unlike his father, Aldo, this boy will make a fine Emperor. My oldest daughter, their mother, Madlin, shows much in these two. They are level headed and fair. And this war has taught them a lot about their Empire and its people. Maybe something good has come from this mess after all.
Siri had gone back to work, so, as a group, they all went to the hospital to meet the newest family member. They found her helping to tend the newly freed soldiers and sailors. Upon entering the hallway, the Royal Family worked their way toward her clasping hands, exchanging greetings and welcoming their heroes home.
She looked up and gasped. Even though she had known who Arin was, she was stunned by his looks and his reception committee. Another Med-Tech took over her duties and the others pushed her to the front of their little group. She dropped to her knee before her Emperor. His face still bore some scarring from his burns, but shaved and shorn, in a new uniform, he was the man she had always loved.
"Rise and kneel no more, my sweet. I ask you now again, before all these good people to be what you have always been, my one and my only, the Empress of my heart."
She said nothing, moving softly, silently into his arms. He picked her up and walked slowly from the sick bay. All who had come to know these two gentle people cheered lustily for their good fortune. Where only a few short days ago, they had all faced certain death, they now all embraced life with renewed fervor and joy.
As he reached the door, Arin turned to all and said, "Since this is my wedding day, I will now invite the entire base to that wedding. It will be at noon sharp. Don't be late now." With that final note, he left the cheers behind.
"Grandfather, as the civil authority on this base, will you preside at this wonderful occasion for us?"
"I would be honored, Sire."
"Admiral Baraz, the Empress and I will review your ships tomorrow."
"Thank you, Sire. If you will step this way, your private quarters await your pleasure. If you will allow me, Sire, I will pilot the elevator." With a smile, he hit the down button that took the love birds to their new home.
"Thanks, Brother…” was heard as the doors hissed closed."
Chasing the Jewelled Throne Page 26
