by Peter Rhodan
The target was a male silhouette and had been at one hundred meters range. It now sported three evenly spaced blast marks from her pistol that formed a pretty triangle right over where the man’s heart would have been.
“Oh, very nice!” Karvon said.
Gizel poked her tongue out at him.
She couldn’t hear what was being said up in the observation room but she could see they were a little agitated. Good! She thought to herself. She asked the duty officer for a Mark Fourteen plasma rifle and to set the target at one thousand meters. That was the limit on the narrow shooting gallery that ran underground along the northern border of the Palace grounds. The concrete reinforced walls served a dual purpose as protection against stray shots and also to make it difficult for anyone to tunnel into the Palace grounds from the northern side.
She made use of the sights for her first shot and hit the target just above the heart. Then she asked for a Marine Combat Armour helmet, donned that along with the temporary power pack needed for it to operate, and readied herself. She moved Karvon and the duty officer back then started on the far right. She jumped out, fired using the helmet’s telescopic vision system, ducked, scrambled three steps, stood, and fired again. She ducked, moved back to the wall, took a running leap, and fired while in mid-air. Landed and set the safety on the weapon, removed her helmet, and had the duty officer bring up the target on the screen.
For the long-range targets using the video camera to see the results was both easier and far less time-consuming than running the target back to the firing point. The duty officer in his control station automatically loaded new targets before each person began their practice session. Gizel looked at the image on the screen. One hit slightly to the left of the heart, one at about jaw level, and the final one was between the eyes. Karvon whistled. Even the duty officer looked a little non-plussed by the result.
“Damn,” Gizel commented. “There should have been two to the chest, not one to the jaw. That was probably the last shot.”
Karvon thought she sounded disappointed, although personally, he thought it was amazing shooting.
Karvon grinned down at her.
“No wonder your folks never let you play in the Starmaster finals, it wouldn’t have been fair to the other players to have you running around!”
She made a face at him and he started laughing whereupon she slugged him on the shoulder.
“It’s not funny, dammit!”
But she was having trouble stopping herself from laughing, let alone keeping a serious expression.
She returned the plasma rifle to the duty officer, then buckled her laser pistol in the holster on her hip and left the shooting gallery. Her father, mother, and Dedsun met the two of them just outside the entrance and the five of them headed back to the main family part of the Palace. They were all just sitting down to coffee, with poor Dedsun looking like he felt terribly out of place when the Emperor’s comm went off and he answered it after apologizing for the interruption.
The Emperor listened to whatever was being said for some time.
“Thank you, Baron. We will expect you for dinner,” he said and clicked off the comm.
The Emperor looked around at the expected faces and deliberately took a sip of his coffee to drag the moment out.
“Baron Travgar will be coming to dinner, dear. He is ready to make his preliminary report.”
The Empress nodded. “That was quick.”
“Yes. I thought it might take weeks to get to the bottom of it all,” the Emperor commented.
He shook his head and spent a moment staring into space, thinking about something but without explaining what it was.
“Well, we will no doubt find out later. Meanwhile, we can discuss your prospects, young man.” he turned to look at Karvon.
“Oh,” Karvon said, swallowing.
The Emperor pulled out his pad and tapped it a few times.
“Now let me see. Ah, yes. So. The younger son of a Baron, therefore unlikely to inherit, baring an accident or act of war. Registered owner of the cargo ship Kormorant out of Big Tony’s? Really? Your ship is registered on a casino planet?”
Karvon shrugged, looking a bit sheepish.
“Very few people are as cursory in the inspection of a ship to be registered as the fellows on Big Tony’s are. As long as the logs are up to date, the air pressure is good and fuel tanks aren’t leaking, they don’t really care about the rest.” he offered.
The Emperor considered this. “I see. I suppose a real inspection would turn up all sorts of interesting things, wouldn’t it.”
This was a statement more than a question and Karvon shrugged but refrained from commenting.
“Actually, I’m impressed you’ve avoided such an inspection all these years.”
The Emperor observed looking over at Karvon intently.
“It helps that I have a reserve commission in the Brython Navy. With Brython Customs, or the Royal Navy for that matter, I just show my ID and mention Section Six and they all get very blind to any irregularities.”
Karvon made it sound pretty straight forward but Gizel doubted it was that simple in practice.
“I understand you have a similar arrangement with my people?” the Emperor enquired.
Karvon shook his head.
“It’s nowhere near as straightforward in Kimerian space. If we really have to we can use Vorburg’s Imperial Security ID to smooth things over. If that doesn’t work then we apply to Baron Travgar direct, or at least let the people harassing us apply to him. Which can be rather amusing to watch at times.”
He smiled at some memory. Then his face took on a more solemn expression and he went on a bit more seriously.
“We have similar ins with Nordland and Nue Limborg as well if we ever have the need. The real key is simply not to bring ourselves to people’s attention.”
The Emperor nodded, looking down at his pad again.
“Fifteen different identities I believe it is, yes?”
Karvon looked like he was counting in his head.
“I think it is more like twenty-four or even twenty-five if we include all the other ship identities we can impersonate. There may even be a few more by now. Krevis adds a new one every now and then without necessarily telling me he has. We seem to use them up fairly regularly for one reason or another.”
Karvon looked a bit sheepish, making this admission, and shook his head slightly, as if over-keen subordinates were a trial rather than a blessing.
The Emperor studied him for a moment as if trying to decide if Karvon was acting, or if he really was annoyed about Krevis running amok with new identities. He returned to his pad.
“Ah, yes,” he said with a tone of mild interest. “Your operation must be far more profitable than it would appear on the surface.”
Karvon cocked his head slightly. “Oh. More profitable than what?”
The Emperor smiled. “Than a normal freighter the size of your ship could make month by month. Given the amount of money you have socked away.”
Karvon inclined his head slightly but refrained from commenting. Gizel’s father glanced at him for a moment then returned to reading his pad.
“There is your account on Brython with over seventy thousand credits in it. Not a large sum perhaps, but not a small amount either. On top of that, there is your investment account with Jonks and Yerling that would realize something around two hundred and fifty thousand credits if liquidated.”
Karvon nodded. “Given I’m not going to inherit the family estate I thought it best to put a little aside for my retirement,” he commented.
He had mentioned both his savings and his investment account to Gizel on the voyage back as part of his pointing how different their stations in life were. He’d even told her about some other monies and investments he had secreted away.
The Emperor nodded and studied his pad again.
“A little aside. Yes. I can see that. Then of course there is the investment account you have he
re on Kimeria under an assumed name totalling another three hundred and fifty thousand credits, give or take. And the one on Nordland that comes to just under two hundred thousand. Plus, you have positions in several companies around the galaxy including several companies on Brython under another assumed name that your cousin does the proxy voting for. We shouldn’t forget the nearly ten percent you own of one of the casino syndicates in the Vegas system. Oh, and I nearly forgot the investment company you have on Lotharia which has a portfolio totalling well over half a million credits.” he paused and looked up at the now surprised Karvon. “In fact, according to this, you’re worth something around three million credits. Not including your ship.”
He finished his recital and put the pad down while watching both Karvon’s and Gizel’s reaction to all this.
Whatever her father had been expecting, Gizel rather thought her lack of surprise at the numbers he’d been bandying about wasn’t what he had expected. Karvon, on the other hand, looked more puzzled than anything. He leaned back and appeared to be doing a mental check of all his investments while he pulled on his earlobe, a sure sign he was mentally reviewing something. The Emperor raised an eyebrow.
“You didn’t think anyone could find your hidden accounts?” he asked.
Karvon leaned back in his chair and Gizel couldn’t help smiling. Her father glanced her way and looked surprised at her smile then he turned his attention back to Karvon. Karvon waved a languid hand with what Gizel thought was a very good display of unconcern.
“Actually,” he said with a small smile. “I’m surprised Imperial Security hasn’t managed to find them all.”
Now it was her father’s turn to sit back in his chair and look perplexed.
“Really? You have more?”
Karvon nodded, glanced at Gizel, and turned back to the father.
“Several, actually.”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“I’ve a mind not to tell you where and what they are just so you can give your Imperial Security lackeys a challenge.” And then he grinned. “Actually, I suppose when Gizel and I are married they become sort of, my lackeys as well, I guess.” he shook his head. “In fact, as your prospective son-in-law I think it wouldn’t hurt for their competence to be tested, don’t you agree, sir.”
The Emperor considered this request for a moment and ruefully shook his head.
“I think, I have to agree.” he glanced at his wife before continuing. “I shall raise the matter with the Baron this evening.”
“I think you had better.” the Empress replied, although she smiled at Gizel as she said it.
The Emperor then changed the subject and mentioned something about her brother and from then on the conversation mostly covered current affairs issues affecting the Empire and to a lesser extent Brython. The Emperor seemed only too happy to get Karvon’s opinions on many of the issues. And so it went until the Baron arrived and they sat down to dinner.
Dinner started slowly with talk mostly confined to personal matters. Baron Travgar happily updated Gizel on her best friend who was still at university, but doing postgraduate studies at the University of Grendel on Faldorn.
“She’ll be sorry she missed you.” the Baron offered.
“When is she due back?” Gizel asked, sounding a little puzzled at the Baron’s certainty that she would not be able to catch up with her friend.
If she remembered correctly, Faldorn’s academic cycle was about two months behind that in the Kimeria system, which should mean the semester would end in approximately two months. The last time she had heard from her friend, Lena had indicated she was returning home for the break.
Gizel had been surprised when Lena had elected to do her postgraduate studies on Faldorn, but Lena had assured her that the curriculum there was better suited to her field of study. Lena had surprised her by electing to continue her education on Faldorn where she had completed her Honours Degree and was working on the following Masters, or even Doctorate, depending on how she went in her Honours. Gizel suddenly realized where Travgar was going with this but decided to play along to keep the conversation during the actual dinner, light.
“Not until June the second.” the Baron replied.
“I doubt you’ll still be here then,” he added with a twinkle after waiting a bit for dramatic emphasis.
Gizel cocked her head slightly to one side, playing along.
“And why is that, Baron? I haven’t received any movement orders from the Navy; in fact, I imagine I’ll be here for some time while they conduct their own investigation. I will no doubt have some serious questions to answer regarding my own actions over the last few months.”
The Baron leaned back in his chair and waved a fork.
“Actually, I rather thought you’d be on your way to Brython fairly soon.”
Gizel tried to look puzzled, returning his bland gaze.
“Really? And why would I be heading off to Brython so soon?”
The Baron kept the bland expression on his face while he waved the fork once more, this time in Karvon’s direction.
“The impetuosity of youth, perhaps?”
This last caused the Emperor to almost choke, as he couldn’t help laughing, which quickly turned the Empress’ amusement into concern for her husband’s health. The Emperor recovered without serious trouble though, and after satisfying herself that her father was fine Gizel sat back in her chair and smiled at the Baron.
“That’s rather perceptive of you, sir.” she offered.
The Baron shook his head. “Not really. Your father and I have had several discussions about the political ramifications and possibilities of your prospective marriage to Captain Alastair over the last couple of days that you weren’t made aware of. We both agree with you that it would be best if you personally approach King Artur with regards to the marriage itself, and also your suggestions about a closer alignment between each state. Not that most of your suggestions are anything new that your father and I have not discussed previously, or indeed your mother, for that matter.” he said and nodded at the Empress.
He paused for a moment obviously considering something, but whatever it was, he decided not to enlighten them. Instead, he waved a hand at Karvon.
“Captain Alastair here, and you Princess, will have to endure several sessions of briefing from foreign affairs, I’m afraid. You will both almost certainly have to front the Parliamentary committee on foreign affairs as well before we allow you to escape.”
This last he said with a grin.
“Oh great!” Karvon moaned.
The Emperor snorted.
“It won’t be that bad!” he said flatly. “It’ll all be done here in the Palace to keep it out of the newsies hands. We have a new ambassador to welcome officially. We are inviting him to a state dinner next week with ourselves, the Foreign Minister, and the Parliamentary committee which will provide a valid reason for them to be here in the Palace and they can talk to you after the dinner.”
He paused for a minute while he considered something and then continued.
“You won’t be at the dinner, Gizel. We’ll plead you’re still resting after the events involving the Thister, and that the Navy wanted you to remain incommunicado until their own investigation gets underway.”
He looked at his wife, and then the Baron, before turning back to the young couple.
“Karvon, you are going to have to go back to living on your ship. In public, you can go on about the reward you received for saving the princess’ life, including a refurbishment of your ship at the Navy’s expense. I’d rather you are a little vague about what other rewards you received, just look smug and say you’re quite happy with the Empire’s generosity.”
The Empress saw Gizel was about to object and jumped in first.
“There’s already been talk about him staying at the Palace Gizel, and until you speak to King Artur it would be better for there to be no suggestions of a royal romance. Well, no obvious signs of our a
pproval of a royal romance that is.”
She looked at her daughter softly for a moment.
“I know how you feel, but for the moment we don’t want rumors of a royal romance all over the news services.”
She smiled at her frowning daughter.
“Imperial duty, I’m afraid.” she said quietly.
Gizel looked mulish for a moment, glanced at Karvon who shrugged and turned his hand to say what can we do, and nodded at her mother. The Empress nodded back.
“It should only be until you’ve fronted the Parliamentary Committee, after which you should be free to travel to Brython, undercover when you are leaving here.”
Gizel nodded agreement and turned to the Baron.
“Are Lena and Teron still an item? She hasn’t mentioned him in the last couple of letters she has sent me.”
The Baron shrugged looking bemused.
“I am not exactly sure as to the status of their relationship, to be honest. I was beginning to think he was going to come and see me, if you know what I mean before she left for Faldorn. Since she’s been there, as you say, she has barely mentioned him. So, your guess is as good as mine. I would welcome any information you can get out of her though, Princess.”
He actually sounded like he really would welcome some inside intelligence on where his daughter’s relationship was at. Interesting. Apparently, there were unexpected limits to the ability of Imperial Security to gather information!
Gizel pursed her mouth at this admission from the head of Imperial Security.
“I will try and think of some way of asking, without making it too obvious that I’m asking, if you understand my meaning.” she offered.
Baron Travgar gave a little smile.
“I would be very grateful, your Highness.” He gave her a little head bow and she nodded in return.
This conversation coincided with the removal of the dessert plates and all parties settled back for a moment as the staff brought out the appropriate beverages that each preferred to have after dinner. As they left the room the Emperor said to the Chamberlain. “I will call you when we wish for the room to be cleared, Kronar. See that we’re not disturbed please.”
