by G. P. Hudson
Leventis wheeled around in surprise and put out his hands, gesturing for his men to stand down. “Okay, that was impressive. Well done.”
“Cut the bullshit, Leventis,” Gerry said. “Or I’ll burn a hole through your left eye.”
“Do that, and you won’t see your friend.”
“Your story makes no sense,” Danny said. “Why would Zeta send clones to a criminal?”
“They’re not giving him the clones,” Leventis said. “He is helping them to covertly insert clones into the Sol system. If hostilities break out again between the Empire and Zeta Corp, Masterson wants to have assets in place in the Sol system so that he can strike at the heart of the Empire.”
“That’s all very interesting,” Danny said. “But it makes the mission a whole lot harder. Capturing a smuggler’s ship is one thing but boarding a ship full of Zeta combat clones is another.”
“Isaac thinks you can do it,” Leventis said.
“He agreed to the mission?” Gerry said.
“No. Not exactly. He said he had to speak to you two first. But he believed that it could be done.”
Danny’s connection to the ship warned him of another aircraft approaching their coordinates. “Someone’s coming.”
“That would be Isaac,” Leventis said. “Good. Maybe now we can have a more civilized discussion.”
Danny reached out with his mind and tried to establish a neural connection. Isaac, is that you?
Danny, my boy. Yes, it is me,” Isaac replied as the neural connection was established. And I see that Gerry is with you. Good. I am looking forward to seeing both of you.
You’re okay? Gerry said. You haven’t been mistreated?
Not at all. Mr. Leventis has been a gracious host.
Danny and Gerry both lowered their weapons, and Leventis smiled in response. “I see you have spoken with Isaac already. That’s good. Maybe we can finally come to an agreement.”
The aircraft hovered briefly above the group and gently dropped down to the surface. Danny cautiously watched the hatch open, his hands tightening their grip on the plasma weapon. He still didn’t trust Leventis and kept his guard up. If anything appeared that he didn’t like, Leventis would have Danny’s gun in his face again with no guarantee of restraint on Danny’s part.
When Isaac finally appeared, he flashed his trademark smile at the two clones, putting them both at ease. “You don’t know how happy I am to see the two of you again, healthy and unscathed.”
“The feeling’s mutual, Isaac,” Gerry said. “Now what’s the deal with all this talk of covert clones and weapons transports.”
“It is quite a disturbing development,” Isaac said. “One that I honestly believe we cannot ignore.”
“Then what Mr. Leventis says is true. You are in favor of the mission.”
“I am.”
“But Isaac,” Danny said. “Capturing a ship in metaspace is no easy task at the best of times. How are we supposed to commandeer a ship full of combat drones in metaspace?”
“We’re not,” Isaac said, smiling mischievously. “The Zeta clones on that ship are going to commandeer it for us.”
Chapter 24
Admiral Reynolds stood stoically on the bridge, happily gazing at the tactical display before him. Premier Reese stood at his side, sharing in his glee. So far, their surprise attack of the Tran system was unfolding flawlessly. Reynolds implemented the same plan he had drawn up for the Avar campaign, only with a few modifications. Instead of having his capital ships jump in to attack one of the minor planets, he used the few available Avar capital ships.
Premier Reese had come up with the idea, and while he didn’t fully trust her, she continued to impress him. He knew he was taking a chance by following her recommendation, and that those ships could warn the Tran about the coming invasion. Still, he thought it worth the risk. He had a feeling about this woman, and he wanted to put it to the test. He could just throw her in the brig if she betrayed him.
So far, he had been proved right. Reynolds had no illusions about Premier Reese. He was no love-struck schoolboy, and he knew that Reese was a shark. She was using him, plain and simple, but he didn’t care. He enjoyed her company, and not just the time spent in his bedroom. She was brilliant, ambitious, and intense. A natural leader. In her, he saw the strength of will that was so sorely lacking in everyone else around him. With her at his side, he felt unstoppable. She was more ally, than lover.
He had done his homework and knew all about her background. Her rise from poverty. Her skillful manipulation of the most powerful in Avar society. Like him, she was a commoner who had risen by merit alone. And, like him, she hated the nobility and everything they stood for. How far could those shared values take them?
When three Avar battleships jumped into the Tran system, it surprised the Tran military but had not set off the same alarm bells a flotilla of UEDF ships would. As the battleships headed for their target, they ignored the Tran hails. It didn’t take long for the Tran to realize something wasn’t right and send in ships to intercept. When the battleships launched missiles at those ships, the Tran fears were confirmed.
The Tran would have known about the UEDF conquest of the Avar system by now, which made their half-hearted response that much more puzzling. The three battleships, while powerful, did not have the necessary muscle to take on the Tran fleet. But they still had enough firepower to inflict a lot of damage if they weren’t dealt with swiftly and decisively.
The Avar battleships continued to approach their target planet, despite Tran efforts to stop them. Tran missiles chased the behemoths, only to be destroyed by the Avar point defense systems. When they fired on the planet’s orbital defenses, the Tran military had seen enough.
More ships were dispatched to deal with the intruders. As anticipated, those ships came from the force defending the jump gate. The Tran military sent their own flotilla to take out the Avar threat. Overcompensating for their earlier mistake, the Tran responded with overwhelming force, intent on crushing the trespassers.
The plan anticipated the time required for the Tran to respond, and when that time elapsed, the bulk of the combined UEDF-Avar fleet began to pour through the Tran jump gate. As they did, Reynolds had his capital ships open their own jump points, outflanking the jump gate defenders.
The Tran defenses had already been weakened by their response to the Avar battleships. Even so, the jump gate created a natural bottleneck which allowed a determined defender to fend off a much more substantial force. The Tran ships adopted a cone formation, focusing all their muscle on the comparatively smaller jump gate.
The first UEDF ships to cross through the gate were met with a lethal onslaught of missiles and plasma beams. Outgunned, those first few ships were like sacrificial lambs. They were also heavily armored, more battering ram than combat ship. Despite their thick armor, they suffered significant damage, and several were destroyed at the outset.
They successfully accomplished their task, however, acting as shields for the rest of the fleet. Like heavyweight bruisers, they pushed forward and took the brunt of the defensive fire.
Behind them, the fleet continued to push through. They used speed, to establish a beachhead. Even with the help of the shield ships, they still took heavy fire. Tran plasma beams lanced out at them, raking their hulls with deadly precision. Hull breaches vented equipment and bodies into the void. Still, the UEDF warships flowed into the system. They had the numbers to prevail, and would eventually overcome the defenders, albeit at a very high cost.
It was that high cost, in particular, that had prevented the Empire from taking back the Frontier Alliance systems. No one in the Admiralty had the stomach for such losses. They said it was bad for morale and would send the wrong message. So, they focused on the core systems, where they could be assured of victory.
Reynolds knew that there was more to it, however. The nobility was desperately trying to hold on to their wealth and preferred to let the troublesome star systems go
. The Frontier Alliance systems were at the outskirts of the Empire, and not worth the trouble. More importantly, the nobles didn’t have as much of their wealth tied up in these far-flung star systems and were not hurt too badly by letting them go.
This campaign would be different, though. There would be losses, but not the kind that left the nobles trembling with fear. With the appearance of Reynolds’s capital ships behind the Tran defenders, that outcome became evident to all.
The UEDF capital ships, which included the hulking Zeta battleships, opened fire on the Tran cone formation the second they appeared. Admiral Reynolds and Premier Reese had difficulty hiding their satisfaction as the upgraded plasma beams ravaged the Tran defenders. The Tran found themselves locked in a vice with nowhere to run.
The Tran cone formation fell apart. The ships at the rear of the formation bore the weight of the onslaught and broke rank to save themselves. Reynold took note of their lack of discipline. If the Tran joined his fleet, that sort of cowardice would not be tolerated.
As more UEDF ships streamed into the system, and more Tran ships broke rank, the combined firepower pitted against the gate’s defenders proved overwhelming. Blistering white light bathed the bridge as Tran ships began to succumb to their wounds and blew apart one after the other.
“Sir, President Stohl is requesting an audience,” said Captain Travers.
Reynolds smirked. “What took him so long? Go ahead. Patch him through to my comm.”
A red-faced, heavy-set man with drooping jowls appeared on the display. Glaring at Reynolds, his eyes widened in shock when he noticed Premier Reese standing beside him. “What is the meaning of this? Premier Reese, why are your forces fighting with the Empire?”
“The meaning of this, President Stohl, is whatever you choose to make it,” Reynolds said sternly. “Premier Reese has wisely chosen to save the lives of her people. If you’re smart, you will do the same.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Then I will explain,” Reynolds continued. “I am giving you an opportunity to avoid death and destruction, not to mention prison and execution. If you join forces with me, I will not bombard your cities. Nor will I have you arrested and sent to Earth to be tried for treason. I’m sure you know that you have no hope of winning such a trial and that the penalty is execution. In fact, I will let you keep your title, and you can continue governing the Tran system.”
“That makes no sense. Why would you do that? How do I know you won’t just have me arrested the moment we surrender?”
“Do I look like I’ve been arrested?” Premier Reese said.
“Maybe. You could be doing this under duress.”
“Trust me, Stohl. I’m not. As Admiral Reynolds has pointed out, I had no interest in fighting a losing battle. Nor did I want to have the blood of millions of my people on my hands,” Reese said emphatically.
“She is also still the Premier,” Reynolds added.
“We are not the Avars,” Stohl said angrily. “You cannot trounce us.”
“Maybe not,” Reynolds said. “But we will defeat you. My fleet can beat yours without the Avar ships. With their addition, you are woefully outnumbered. This is reality, Mr. President. I advise you to use reason. Why inflict this armageddon on your people?”
“Our allies will come to our aid. With their help, we will drive you out of this system.”
“I don’t think so. I can take this system, and I can hold it. That’s just reality. The only question is how much suffering your people will endure in the process, not to mention whether or not you will go to the gallows.”
Stohl seemed to lose some of his bluster. “I need time to think about this.”
“You’re free to think about it as long as you like but consider this. This offer will no longer be available later.”
“That’s absurd. Are you saying you won’t accept our surrender?”
“Oh, I will accept your surrender, but the offer will change. My next offer will be that you surrender to avoid me bombing your cities. You, however, will be arrested and sent back to Earth. I’m sure you’ve heard about my reputation. You know I don’t make idle threats. My advice to you is to accept this offer now, while you still can. Of course, the choice is yours. It’s good to have choices, don’t you think?”
“You’re a bastard, Reynolds.”
“What’s your answer, Stohl?”
President Stohl leaned back in his chair and looked at someone off camera. He nodded and turned back to Reynolds. “Very well, I accept your offer.”
A grim smile spread across Reynolds’s face. “Order your ships to stand down and advise them of the change in the command structure. And don’t try any tricks, Stohl, or I will make an example of you and this star system. Am I understood?”
“Yes. I’ll issue the necessary orders immediately.”
Chapter 25
“Have you lost your mind, Reynolds?” Emperor Cherenko pointed a finger at Reynolds as he spoke, his face a bright red. “You did not have Imperial approval for any of this.”
“I took the initiative, majesty,” Reynolds said, white-hot fury building inside him. “The Avar system fell with minimal losses. I added their warships to my fleet and invaded the Tran system. The speed of the invasion caught the Tran off guard, ensuring my success. It was a tactical decision.”
“Tactical decision?! Who the hell do you think you are? I made you, Reynolds, or have you forgotten that? You were an insignificant captain on the fast track to retirement. You are an admiral because of me. I gave you that fleet, and I can just as easily take it away.”
“Yes, majesty. I only seek to serve the Empire. I believe I have done just that by repatriating two rebellious star systems.”
“Your orders were to invade the Avar system only. You were not given any authority to invade the Tran system. Nor were you authorized to grant amnesty to Premier Reese, or President Stohl.”
“Yes, your worship. But again, that offer of amnesty allowed me to take both systems with minimal bloodshed. We did not lose as many ships, and I was not forced to bomb the civilian population. In fact, my reputation pushed them to make this deal. They knew I would bomb their cities otherwise.”
“You were supposed to bomb them, you goddamn fool! You were supposed to make an example of the Avars, not hand out candy to their leaders. You are the Butcher of Allimania. If I wanted to engage in diplomacy I sure as hell would not have sent you in.”
“But majesty, if we can use the carrot, why use the stick?”
“That is a question for your Emperor, and the Admiralty, not you. You are the stick. Your job is to make populations tremble with fear. Your appearance in a star system should be enough to bring a government to its knees. Unconditional surrender, or devastation. That is how you are supposed to negotiate. When I send you into a system, I am flexing. I am showing the populace what happens to those who oppose me. Do you understand what you just did? You told the rest of the Empire that they can rebel against us and all will be forgiven. You gave them leverage against us.”
“Forgive me, majesty, but in this case, I felt a different approach would yield better results.”
“Well, luckily for the Empire I am not bound by your decisions.”
“Majesty?”
“Premier Reese and President Stohl will be taken into custody immediately, along with the rest of their cabinets. They will then be sent back to Earth to stand trial for treason. The Avar and Tran militaries will be disbanded, and their ships reassigned to other UEDF fleets.”
“But majesty, I gave my word as an Admiral in good faith.”
“Are you suggesting that your authority supersedes that of your Emperor?”
“No, your worship. Of course not.”
“Good, because as the Emperor, I am countermanding your orders. I am also reorganizing your fleet. Your Zeta battleship squadron will be broken up, and each ship reassigned. I made a grave error giving you the entire Zeta squadron. Each Imperial fleet needs to have acc
ess to those battleships.”
Reynolds seethed. It was just as he had thought. The Emperor was breaking up his fleet and giving his ships to the nobility. Soon, Cherenko would force him out of the UEDF, into retirement. The writing was on the wall. But what could he do about it? He wasn’t sure, but the rational part of him chose to bide his time and think things through. “As you wish, Majesty.” He bowed his head in deference, hoping to placate the enraged Emperor before he made any more decrees.
Cherenko seemed satisfied and terminated the comm without another word.
Reynolds stared off into space, the Emperor’s words weighing heavily on him. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t suppress his rage. He struggled to stay rational and think clearly. Still, the fury overcame him. Cherenko. The nobility. Who did they think they were? The only reason Cherenko became Emperor was that he assassinated Emperor Detlev. A cowardly attack in the middle of the night. He wasn’t worthy of wearing the purple.
The more Reynolds thought about it, the more he saw the truth. Cherenko and the nobility were cancerous tumors that needed to be cut out.
The computer interrupted his thoughts, announcing that Premier Reese requested entry to his office. Reynolds granted permission, and the door slid open. Reese locked eyes with him the second she entered.
“I see your meeting with the Emperor didn’t go well?” she said as she took a seat in front of his desk. Even now, amid his rage, she impressed him.
“No, it did not. Cherenko has ordered me to arrest you, and Stohl, along with the rest of the Avar and Tran leadership.”
If his words frightened her, she didn’t show it. “I see,” she said stoically. “Am I under arrest?”
He studied her. She exuded strength. Pride. Power. “No. You are not under arrest.”
Reese nodded slowly. “What will you tell the Emperor?”
“I am considering my response. Cherenko also wants to reorganize my fleet. He has ordered the Avar and Tran militaries disbanded, and their ships dispersed among the other UEDF fleets. He has also ordered my Zeta squadron broken up and distributed to the other admirals.”
