EMPIRE: Warlord (EMPIRE SERIES Book 5)
Page 13
“I will, Your Majesty. And which path will you take?”
Dunham looked his subordinate directly in the eyes.
“I don’t know. I haven’t decided.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Admiral Leicester, the Kingdom of Estvia has requested annexation to the Empire, and I have agreed. Very much like the situation of its neighbor Pannia, though it is perhaps twice as large. The Imperial Navy is to move into Estvia and deploy a sector defense appropriate to a border sector.”
“Yes, Sire.”
“That is all, Admiral Leicester.”
Admiral Natalia Shvets’ command had barely returned to the Carolina Sector from their attacks on Annalia and Berinia when they were ordered to set up a sector defense in the Kingdom of Estvia.
“The Kingdom of Estvia, Ma’am?” her chief of staff asked.
“Yes, although I guess we should call it the Estvia Sector now, Jack. They’ve requested annexation, and the Emperor said OK. So we need to set up sector defense there. They’re promoting me to Fleet Admiral and assigning me as sector commander.”
“Congratulations, Ma’am.”
“Thanks, Jack. They’re also sending us reinforcements. We have ten thousand planets in Estvia, and it’s expected to be a target, from its location alone. Get a plan together with Gary and then let’s draw up movement orders.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Within two days, Shvets’s forty-eight thousand warships and four hundred thousand picket ships were swarming into the Estvia Sector. Her reinforcements were already on the way.
They met as before in a featureless meeting room with two leather club chairs as the only furniture.
“Thank you for meeting with me, Your Majesty,” said Queen Anne of Phalia.
“Of course, Your Highness,” Dunham said.
“Over ten billion people have died over the last month in your attacks, Your Majesty. I want to bring these hostilities to an end.”
“I did warn you against going to war with Sintar, Your Highness. But even so, over ten billion people die – of old age, disease, accidents, crime – in the Sintaran Empire every single day. With their greater population, the numbers are even higher for the Alliance nations. A single day’s worth of your normal death rate – people who were preparing to attack Sintar, by the way – died early. Nothing more. But in any case I have withdrawn all Imperial Navy forces back within the Empire’s boundaries.”
Yes, he had warned her, but she found his cavalier attitude to the deaths of ten billion human beings shocking. Then again, they weren’t his subjects he was talking about.
“You’ve withdrawn all your forces, Your Majesty? The hostilities are over?”
“If you want them to be, Your Highness. I did what I had to do, what you forced me to do, in fact. I destroyed the Alliance’s ability to constitute an existential threat to the Sintaran Empire. That was my duty. It is now complete.”
“I expected you to continue hostilities and annex the Alliance to the Empire, Your Majesty.”
“That is not my first choice, Your Highness.”
Queen Anne looked at him, puzzled, trying to reorient her thinking. Seeing her bewilderment, Dunham continued.
“How many planets is Phalia, Your Highness?”
“Seventeen thousand eight hundred and ninety-two.”
“Most people would simply say ‘eighteen thousand’ and leave it at that, Your Highness. But you cannot, because every one of them, and the billion or more people who live on each, is in your care.
“The Sintaran Empire is one hundred fifty five thousand two hundred and thirty-seven planets. Every one of them is in my care, and I do not even – cannot even – know all their names. I have nine times the planets in my care as you do right now, and you would think me impatient to expand that responsibility? To double it, in fact?”
Queen Anne was nodding her head. Finally, she was beginning to understand this Emperor.
“I understand, Your Majesty. And yet, in the end, you may have no choice.”
Dunham raised an eyebrow, and she continued.
“The Sintar-Alliance War has created a power vacuum, Your Highness, and power vacuums do not last. Do not forget who manipulated this situation, who cynically brought this region to war. The Alliance as a whole – much less as individual nations – has no remaining means to resist annexation, by either Sintar or the Democracy of Planets. Do you think the DP will stand idly by?”
“I don’t know, Your Highness.”
“I have surmised that you have significantly enhanced Sintar’s capabilities in hyperspace scanning, Your Majesty. Nothing else explains your knowledge of our mustering points. That prompts a question. Where are the DP’s excess forces right now? Where is their striking force?”
“Along the boundary between the DP and the Alliance, Your Highness.”
“You see, Your Majesty. Neither of you can refrain from annexing the Alliance nations, for fear the other will. Whoever does, eventually, will prevail over the other.”
Dunham stared at the floor between them, lost in his thoughts. Queen Anne simply waited. He finally stirred, looked up at her.
“And which is your choice, Your Highness?”
“Sintar, Your Majesty. Because I cannot even imagine the rulers of the Democracy of Planets asking me such a question.”
She thought about it, then continued.
“Besides, there is something inherently honest about an empire or monarchy. There is no false front of democracy cynically laid over a plutocracy.”
“But there have been, in history, empires and monarchies that were also false fronts laid over plutocracies, Your Highness.”
“Is Sintar one, Your Majesty?”
“No. Not anymore, at least.”
Queen Anne nodded.
“That was my impression, Your Majesty.”
“So it is your preference to be annexed by Sintar, Your Highness?”
“To have my people become subjects of the Sintaran Empire rather than peasants in the Democracy of Planets, Your Majesty? Absolutely.”
“You would give up all claims of royalty or nobility, Your Highness.”
Queen Anne shrugged.
“And what would be my future in the Democracy of Planets, Your Majesty?”
“Do your counterparts in the other Alliance nations share your views, Your Highness?”
“No, Your Majesty. At least not all of them. I can speak for King Albert of the Rim, however. He is my cousin, and we have discussed these matters. His view is as mine.”
“I find that remarkable, Your Highness. I cannot fault your logic, but I still find it remarkable.”
“Be warned, though, Your Majesty. I am certain there are some who do not agree with me, who will go down fighting. Others, I don’t know. They could go either way.”
“I understand, Your Highness. I can make my own conjectures in that regard and, I’m sure, not differ materially from your own assessment.”
Queen Anne nodded, and the Emperor continued.
“And you and King Albert would become sector governors, Your Highness?”
“As Your Majesty wishes. I can certainly understand if our judgment, in light of recent events, came up short in your estimate for such consideration.”
Dunham looked at her in some surprise, and she simply shrugged.
“I see,” Dunham said. “Yet I believe both Phalia and the Rim are much too large to be a single sector within the Sintaran Empire. Between the two, there are some forty thousand planets. That would be more like eight sectors within the Empire’s current structure. We have found, over the centuries, five thousand planets to be the optimum size for administration by a single governor. There would be a Phalia Sector, but also, for example, an Aurora Sector, a Monserrat Sector, and others.
“I would be comfortable with your ability to administer such a sector – five thousand planets – if you would not consider it beneath you to do so, Your Highness.”
“I wou
ld never consider it beneath me to be responsible for the well-being of ten trillion people, Your Majesty.”
“Even though you are responsible for the well-being of forty-five trillion now, Your Highness?”
“Even so, Your Majesty.”
Dunham nodded.
“And King Albert, Your Highness?”
“I am confident he feels similarly, Your Majesty.”
“Very well, Your Highness. There are a lot of details to work out – what the sector boundaries would be, who the other sector governors would be, how we fold the remaining structure of your navy into the Imperial Navy – but we can leave these for others. And of course there are the issues with regard to currency, banking, trade, education, communications – it goes on and on.
“But if we are agreed on the major point, all the rest is workable. We actually have a bit of recent experience now, with the annexation of Pannia. It was a much smaller kingdom, but we gained valuable experience that would certainly apply.
“So ultimately it comes down to annexation, yes or no.”
“Yes.”
Dunham stood, then Queen Anne stood. He reached out his hand.
“It is agreed then, Your Highness. The Sintaran Empire will annex the Kingdom of Phalia.”
“It is agreed, Your Majesty.”
They shook hands.
“One moment, Your Majesty. I have asked my cousin to join us.”
King Albert of the Rim appeared in the VR meeting room.
“You have concluded an agreement, then, Anne?”
“Yes, Albert.”
“Very well.”
King Albert turned to Dunham and held out his hand.
“I formally accept the same agreement on behalf of the Rim, Your Majesty.”
“You don’t know the details, Your Highness.”
“I’ll learn them from my cousin once we’ve concluded. Whatever she has agreed for Phalia, the Rim also agrees.”
“Very well, Your Highness. The Sintaran Empire will annex the Rim.”
“Excellent. It is agreed, Your Majesty.”
They shook hands.
Reactions
Having said goodbye to Dunham, Queen Anne and King Albert sat in the club chairs in the meeting room. As host of the previous meeting it was Queen Anne’s simulation.
“So what did I just agree to?” King Albert asked.
Queen Anne spelled out the agreement, including the part about them being sector governors in the new arrangement.
“So we won’t hang after all?” King Albert asked.
“Not at the hands of Emperor Trajan, at least. As for our own navies, I’m not so sure.”
King Albert chuckled.
“Oh, I don’t know. Some of them might be pretty happy with the idea of survival, which wasn’t looking very likely a couple of hours ago.”
“There is that,” Queen Anne said. “I worry about some other Alliance leaders, though. Some of them are not very grounded in reality. They’ll try to carry on.”
“What can they do?”
“Attack our planets, Sintar’s planets.”
“I predict that will not go well for them.”
“Oh, I think I can pretty much guarantee that,” Queen Anne said.
When Queen Anne finally dropped out of VR, she felt wrung out, like a damp dishcloth. The tension and nerves receded slowly, like they couldn’t quite believe it was over.
She called her prime minister and defense minister to join her in a VR conference. At least her avatar didn’t smell of flop-sweat and didn’t desperately need a bath.
Mallory and Dunning appeared on the channel within seconds.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Be seated, gentlemen.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
She waited to continue until they were seated.
“I have concluded hostilities with Sintar on terms I consider favorable. Any Phalian naval forces outside our borders are to return home. They should be transponding their Phalian ship registry. No hostilities with any Sintaran vessel are authorized.”
“May we know the terms of the agreement, Ma’am?”
“Yes, but not right now. Once we are disengaged, and all Phalian naval forces are back within our own borders, then I will tell you the terms of the agreement. So if you want to know them soonest, expedite our movements.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“That is all, gentlemen.”
Queen Anne dropped off the channel and went to take a nice, hot bath.
Saaret and Peters ran into each other at the elevators, heading up one floor to the Imperial offices.
“You, too, Milady?” Saaret asked.
“I was asked to attend His Majesty immediately.”
“I wonder what’s up. He had those meetings this morning.”
When they got to Dunham’s office, Perrin showed them right in. Admiral Leicester was already there, and a third chair was in place.
“Be seated.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Dunham turned to the Imperial Guardsmen in the corners of the room behind them.
“Leave us.”
The Guardsmen nodded and left the room. Once they had left, Dunham addressed the ceiling.
“Guard.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” a voice came back.
“Suspend audio monitoring for one hour.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
A soft ‘bong’ tone sounded from the ceiling. Dunham looked over to the light switches by the door and noted a small flashing red light on the panel.
“Admiral Leicester, I have already told you Estvia has asked for annexation and I directed you to extend the defense of the Imperial Navy into the sector.”
“Yes, Sire. That’s under way.”
“Good. What I will tell you all now is Phalia and the Rim have requested annexation into Sintar, and I have agreed.”
Leicester looked pensive, Saaret looked surprised, and Peters looked a bit smug. Her analysis had been leaning toward them jumping that way, and she was pleased to be correct.
“Reactions? Admiral Leicester, you first.”
“Yes, Sire. The only thing I worry about is spreading ourselves too thin. The frontiers situation is actually simplified, because Phalia and the Rim border some pretty empty space on the other side, and it’s a long way around to come in from out there. So it solves a big chunk of our border issues.
“But Phalia and the Rim together are something like forty thousand planets and sixty-one trillion people. Taking Sintar, including Estvia and Pannia, together with Phalia and the Rim, we’re talking about two hundred five thousand planets and three hundred seventy-eight trillion people. Sintar at the time of your coronation was one hundred fifty thousand planets and three hundred trillion people, so those are big increases.”
“I understand, Admiral Leicester. But we also have what is left of the Phalian and Rim navies. I think if we outfit them with box-launched missiles with ECM, we could make them an effective force.”
“I worry about sharing that technology even with an ally, Sire.”
“Which would be appropriate, Admiral Leicester, were they an ally. They will not be. They will be Sintar. Remember that.”
“Yes, of course. Sorry, Sire.”
Dunham made a small wave-away gesture with his hand and nodded to Leicester. Then he turned to Saaret.
“Mr. Saaret?”
“Yes, Sire. I worry about how genuine and unforced this move is on their part. Will they be loyal to the Empire?”
“I think so, Mr. Saaret. Queen Anne was clearly relieved when I agreed to the idea. She sees them being caught unable to defend themselves against Sintar or the DP. A power vacuum, she called it. One of us will annex Phalia, whether Phalia wants it or not. Given the choice, she prefers an honest empire to a pretend democracy.”
“As a monarch, she likely would. And she would be sector governor, Sire?”
“One of them, Mr. Saaret. And King Albert as well. We
need to break Phalia and the Rim up into something like eight sectors. She’s aware of that. She also said she would understand if I considered her judgment, based on recent affairs, to be insufficient for sector governor.”
“And she agreed anyway, Sire?”
“Yes. She really doesn’t want her people being annexed into the DP.”
“OK. That handles my biggest concern, Sire.”
Dunham turned to Peters.
“Milady Empress?”
“My only concern is we use the experience we gained in Pannia effectively here, Your Majesty. You will recall we created something of a special team in sector administration for Pannia. Rather than leave them on the Pannia assignment, or move people around piecemeal, we should probably take the core of that team and put them on the Estvia, Phalia, and the Rim annexations, so we don’t have to relearn the process. Pannia can be handed off to a normal sector admin team now, with a few carryover people for continuity.”
“That’s a really good idea, Milady. Let’s see to that, Mr. Saaret.”
“Yes, Sire.”
“In the meantime, let’s all continue to surface issues and work them through. We have some time before this becomes public.”
“Yes, Sire.”
Commander Robert Murphy was in his cabin/office doing working on the mountains of paperwork it took to run a warship. There was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Murphy said.
PO/2 Gertrude Winger came in and closed the door behind her.
“Rob, I just wanted to thank you for getting Dick and the kids the hell out of Flower.”
“No problem, Gerty. Have you heard the latest? I guess your husband and my in-laws are getting along like gangbusters. He’s been a big help in the kitchen – he’s a great cook, as you know – and he showed up with a mountain of supplies.”
“Dick grew up on a farm. He won’t show up empty-handed.”
“Oh, it’s more than that. He and my mother-in-law have been trading recipes and teaching each other their favorite dishes. And he helped my father-in-law find and fix a problem on the truck nobody could figure out. ‘Running like a top now,’ Anita says.”