The Warlord

by CJ Williams

  In the broader perspective, Luke leaned back and wondered. What has happened to the galaxy?

  When Sam first talked about the Nobility, he made a point that other than Earth, the galaxy was filled with pacifist humans. War was obsolete. It was because the average lifespan of a Nobility citizen was over a thousand years. After thinking about, Luke realized that even on earth not too many people on Social Security want to go to war. Long lived people had a better appreciation for the cost that conflict could bring and acted accordingly.

  But now, in the heart of Nobility space, it appeared that peace was coming apart. The instigator of violence had been the Bakkui, a mechanized race set on destroying human life. The Bakkui had attacked thousands of Nobility planets and killed billions of people.

  Luke wondered if he was seeing the fallout of those events across Nobility space? Clearly, people were taking up arms. On two consecutive planets, he’d found raiders. One group had advanced weapons. And now there was an indication that someone could be forming a partnership with the Bakkui.

  Luke concentrated on the last moments of the battle. What name had the raider captain shouted at the end? The memory suddenly came back. Dracci!

  “Tabitha, who is King Dracci?” Luke asked aloud.

  “I am not familiar with a King Dracci,” Rachel said.

  Luke sighed, missing George more than ever. The AI’s archives contained a near complete history of the Nobility and it was times like this the information was so vital. Once Luke returned to Japurnam Five, Sadie could fix him up with a new George warship. Until then Luke would just have to live with a lot of unanswered questions.

  He added the question of King Dracci to his report. Moonbase One had its own version of George so they could do much of the research on their own. “Tabitha, wrap up this report, along with the ship’s logs and send it to Roth.”

  “Who is Roth?” Tabitha wanted to know.

  Luke gritted his teeth. “Doctor Roth Higgins, operational director of Moonbase One in Earth’s solar system and all Alliance forces in that sector.”

  “Acknowledged,” Tabitha replied.

  Katrina sat down in the captain’s seat and turned to face Luke. “Sir, Captain Stone reports that all remaining warships of the 92nd have interlocked and Lulubelle’s crew members have been reassigned.”

  Luke leaned back in his chair and forced his muscles to relax. “Thanks. Before we head planet side, let’s hold a memorial service for those we lost. Invite Grant and the 391st Tigers; they may want to participate.”

  It was a sad reminder of Luke’s time in the air force. As a combat unit, squadrons kept to themselves. But tragedy brought people together. When a squadron lost a crew, friendly competition was set aside and all grieved together.

  Luke connected mentally with Katrina’s AI. There was a question he needed to ask but had been avoiding up until now. Tabitha, who did we lose from Lulubelle’s crew?

  She recited the names directly to his mind and Luke suddenly felt very old. Carlos Stokes, his young and enthusiastic tactical officer, was on the list. Carlos had flown with Luke since leaving Jigu. The burden of responsibility was extra heavy as Luke pushed himself out of the chair and headed toward the ship’s common area. It was time to bid farewell to those that had fallen. After that he would visit the planet.

  *.*.*.*

  Luke examined the deserted plateau below. According to Carrie, Princess Gimi had made this remote location her home on Ebene Three. It was high in the mountains where a man-made parade ground had been carved out of the mountain side. The entire facility was empty.

  Tabitha set down near the entrance to the underground complex. Carrie had said there were over thirty thousand people here when she visited, most of them refugee children from planets destroyed by the Bakkui. Luke and a dozen crew members inspected the facility. Everything was covered with dust. The place had been abandoned for a while.

  “All right,” Luke said after convincing himself no one was home. “Let’s check with the planetary governor. See if he knows anything.

  *.*.*.*

  In a large coastal city on the planet’s main continent, the People’s Hall was a typical government building; tall, imposing, and devoid of architectural flair. Amazingly it had avoided being shelled by the raiders. Luke wondered if it was better shielding or just luck. Most of the downtown had not fared as well. It reminded Luke of old black and white photos of London after a World War II air raid. Not completely destroyed, but practically every structure had some level of damage.

  “Set down there on the grassy area in front of the main building,” Luke ordered. To Tabitha’s captain he said. “Katrina, I would like you to come with me.” After landing he disembarked with Katrina and a platoon of her ground troops. A squad of local policemen gathered uncertainly at the top of the wide steps. They were poorly armed and looked uncertain as to how to prevent a formation of armed soldiers from entering the building.

  Although the police were outnumbered, the squad leader stood in front of his men and shouted, “Halt! This planet is under the protection of the Second Family. And you are not allowed to land your vessel in this area.” The man’s face was scandalized that anyone would violate the municipal grounds in such a manner.

  Luke gestured toward the demolished buildings through the downtown area and said, “I just saved your planet from the raiders who were bombing you. Now move aside. I’m here to see the Governor.” The over-matched constable hesitated and Luke marched past.

  Inside the building, the governor’s secretary squeaked when Luke and his entourage trooped into the reception area. A quartet of his guards surrounded her desk, preventing any attempt at gate-keeping interference on her part. Luke kept going with two of his soldiers in close trail. He passed through double doors into the governor’s personal office. Katrina followed after directing the remaining contingent of soldiers to maintain order peacefully.

  “Greetings, Governor,” Luke began in a grim, no-nonsense tone. “We’re the ones who beat back those raiders. I’m looking for Princess Gimi. You got any word on where she is?”

  The governor didn’t try to conceal his sudden anger. “How would I know?” he barked with frustration. “I’m just the governor here. As far as I know she’s not on the planet. Our high and mighty royals never let anyone know what they’re doing. But I’ll tell you, those raiders wanted her too. Go ask them.”

  The man’s antagonism irritated Luke. He leaned over the governor’s desk and snarled, “I would like nothing more! But I don’t know who they’re working for!”

  Katrina discreetly put a restraining hand on Luke’s arm. He glared at her, but the distraction was enough to calm his temper. He pulled away from the desk and throttled back on his attitude. Katrina was right. There was no gain in antagonizing the local bureaucrat.

  Perhaps the man had some knowledge about the situation in general. Luke gestured to his guards to lower their weapons and move back a few steps.

  “Mind if I sit down?” Luke asked the governor with slightly less rancor. “I apologize for barging in. I’m trying to understand the local situation, not cause trouble. If you can help, I’ll be on my way.”

  Several of the governor’s staffers pushed into the office, looking fearful but wanting to stand by their boss. Luke gestured to his guards to let them be. They posed no threat to Luke and his soldiers who all wore combat gear and personal protection fields.

  The governor relaxed somewhat, but was still visibly frustrated by a military force shoving their way into his office. Faced with the inevitable, he took a deep breath.

  “Go ahead,” he said, nodding at the chairs in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”

  Luke made himself comfortable. In a friendlier tone he asked, “Do you know who King Dracci is? I think the raiders work for him.”

  The governor glared at Luke like he was an idiot. “Seriously? Where are you from? Dracci is the Fourth Family. But anyone would think he replaced King Peyha the way he keeps raiding p
lanets. That’s the third time his people have been here. He’s looking for Princess Gimi too. I heard he wants to hold her for ransom.”

  “Ransom?” That surprised Luke. “That makes no sense. What does a king with replicators want for ransom?”

  “For planets, of course!” the governor growled. “With the Nobility dead, everyone is grabbing everything they can.”

  Luke held out both hands in a calming gesture. “The Nobility is not dead,” he said. “I am King Lucas of the First Family!”

  Everyone in the room instantly fell silent as the statement registered. Luke had just claimed to be the sovereign monarch of the entire galaxy.

  The governor’s eyes widened for an instant and he slumped back onto his chair. “Well,” he said plainly. “That would explain your cluelessness.”

  Strangely enough, Luke found the words amusing. This man was not intimidated by anyone. From Carrie’s earlier travel to this planet, she had talked approvingly of the administrator’s accomplishments, especially without a planetary AI. She called him an old-fashioned manager.

  To Luke, that was a compliment. Without rancor he said, “Governor, if only you knew.” He nodded to his men to wait outside and told Katrina to stay before turning back to the governor.

  Luke held out his hand. “I’m Lucas,” he said evenly. “It would be helpful if you could fill me in on the current situation. I’ve been out of the area for a while fighting the Bakkui. You know about them, right?”

  “I do,” the governor replied. “I’m Ness.” He gave Luke’s hand a perfunctory shake. “But something’s changed. A lot of Second Family soldiers used to come here for R&R. But that stopped about a year ago. There are plenty of rumors as to why. One is about a rogue princess who destroyed Kkoli’s home planet and chased off the Bakkui. I tend to believe it because I met her once. She was looking for Princess Gimi too. She was definitely royal. She knew the royal’s mind tricks.”

  “That would be my little sister,” Luke confirmed. “What you heard was true, but the Bakkui are still out there. And these raiders appear to have some of their tech. I’m wondering if this King Dracci has partnered up with them.”

  “That I can’t tell you. His homeworld is Suneuon Two.”

  “Maybe I should pay him a visit,” Luke said. “Make sure he knows the First Family is still around.”

  Governor Ness voiced another concern. “I also heard that King Peyha is dead and his heir murdered. Are you really First Family, or just another upstart making a grab? You don’t act very royal and you haven’t shown any mind powers.”

  Luke ignored the comment about his mental prowess. It was embarrassing but certainly true enough. He didn’t have the knack and George hadn’t been able to teach it. Carrie said she could help, but he never gave her a chance, always claiming to be busy.

  “I really am the offspring of King Peyha. Though I never expected to become the King. I’m searching for Gimi because I want her to take the throne. You honestly don’t know where she is?”

  The governor shook his head. “I’ve no reason to hold back. But I appreciate your help with those raiders. We don’t have much in the way of a defense. King Kkoli dealt with that.”

  “Then you better gear up and learn how,” Luke suggested. “You got the tech? Replicators and all?”

  “Not really. Kkoli didn’t believe in spreading such benefits to his worlds. But I hear there’s new product on the market; warships that don’t have First Family AI restrictions. You can do whatever you want with them. I’d like to get my hands on some of that.”

  “Can’t help you there,” Luke said. “But I can tell you from personal experience, that non-AI tech doesn’t hold a candle to my stuff. If you want some real equipment, I’ll give you a replicator and one of my warship designs, but it all comes with First Family AI. And I’ll warn you now, I’m going to shut down all non-AI equipment. My engineers will develop a countermeasure within a few months. You want my help or not?”

  The governor hesitated only a second before agreeing. “I’ll take your offer, but we’ve no one trained.”

  “I’ll leave you a training cadre for now, though I can ill afford it. I’ll have some experienced personnel from my home planet come help, but that will take time. For me, since Gimi is not around, I’m heading back to Japurnam Five. And just to be clear. None of this is for free. This planet is now First Family.”

  The governor’s face reflected suspicion. “Does that mean you’ll impose some kind of tax?”

  Luke smiled. “Not exactly. It means I’m responsible for keeping you safe. I hope some of your young people might help with that.”

  “I am in your debt,” the governor said sincerely.

  Luke shook the man’s hand again, to seal the bargain and then turned to Katrina, still at his side.

  “Talk to Dean Stone. See if we can round up enough volunteers to man one ship that will remain here. This will probably be a twelve-month tour until we can get people in from Earth. Make sure there is a grown-up in charge.”

  “Got it,” Katrina replied and left the room, mumbling under her breath as she talked to Tabitha.

  While the details were being sorted out, the governor took Luke outside for a quick inspection of the downtown. The local population had started making headway on rebuilding from earlier raids but the most recent attack had set them back once again.

  This planet has the deck stacked against them, Luke thought.

  The senselessness of it all made him angry. Replication technology gave the human race all it could ever want in the way of material benefits. Why did so many of the Nobility’s royal families keep it for only themselves? It was a misguided philosophy. Of course, he’d seen the same thought process all over Earth. The kleptocracy of many Earth governments was common.

  For that matter, was the Fourth Family really trying to kidnap Gimi for ransom? It didn’t make sense. It wouldn’t get them anything but a long-term enemy.

  One of Luke’s warships suddenly landed amidst a sonic boom and tremendous cloud of dust. The hull sported an orange and black emblem of a roaring tiger. It was one of Grant Jefferies ships.

  The cargo bay door opened and it was Grant himself that sprinted from the warship toward Luke. He was ashen faced when he reached Luke’s side. He wasted no time on formality.

  “Luke,” he said breathlessly. “You gotta come now, It’s Annie.”

  The man’s expression sent a chill down Luke’s spine. “Finish up here,” he shouted to Katrina as he sprinted toward the warship.

  “We just received a message drone,” Grant explained as they ran. “Japurnam Five is under attack. It sounds serious.”

  The news hit Luke like a sledgehammer. If the drone had just arrived, it meant Annie had sent it less than a day after they left. It also meant that whatever message she had for Luke was already two weeks old, and by the time he got back, a month would have passed since she was first in danger.

  As they ran onto the command bridge Grant called out to his ship’s artificial intelligence, “On screen, Valentine.”

  Luke came to an abrupt stop and stared at the display. A very disheveled Annie stood amidst the rubble of their palace apartments…the building had been demolished. She was covered with concrete dust and the walls behind her were completely blown out. He could see the green patchwork fields that she had once admired in the distance.

  The message was simple.

  “Luke,” she said sorrowfully. “We’re under attack. Slater’s squadron is already wiped out. I’ll try to get out on Sadie. Love you, babe.”

  As she finished speaking, Sadie landed just beyond the blown-out wall. Annie turned and ran toward the opened cargo bay door. An explosion sent her sprawling across the debris covered floor. She scrambled to her feet and kept running. Luke caught a glimpse of bloody scratches along her arms from the spill. Before she could reach Sadie, the screen filled with static and then went black.

  Luke stared at the screen waiting for it to come back on. He w
anted to see Annie board the yacht and takeoff. His heart pounded in his ears.

  After a moment, Grant touched Luke on his shoulder and offered the only encouragement he could. “I’m sure she made it. She’ll be fine.” The words rang completely hollow.

  Luke managed to ask, “Is that all there was?”

  “Yes, Commander,” an officer at the communications station replied. “That was the entire message.”

  “Play the last two seconds in slow motion,” Luke said quietly.

  The communication screen fuzzed and then stabilized with Annie scrambling toward Sadie’s open cargo door. Right at the end of the tape, almost too fast to notice, a projectile hit Sadie’s right engine pod.

  “Play that part again, slower,” Luke said.

  In super slow motion, it was obvious. Sadie took a significant hit to her starboard engine nacelle. Pieces of it could be see flying into the air.

  Luke took a deep breath and spoke aloud, mostly to reassure himself. “Sadie can fly with one engine. She could have gotten clear of the battle.”

  Grant said, “I’m sure she did, Commander.”

  Think! Luke told himself. What now? Was that a raid like the one here on Ebene Three—Dracci’s men looking for royal hostages? Or were they just scavengers? Should he try to intercept the raiders en route to the Fourth Family home system? What about…

  Luke buried his face in his hands as dozens of options whirled through his mind. At this moment, he didn’t care about the Nobility, the Bakkui or anything else. He just wanted to get Annie back safe and sound. He had to prioritize. Where was she, how would he find her, and was she okay?

  His mind calmed as he focused on a strategy to answer those three questions. He rose and faced Grant.