Exodus: Empires at War: Book 3: The Rising Storm

by Doug Dandridge

  “But Representative Gershaw, we need those ships,” said Admiral Lenkowski into the holo, where stood Member of the Commons Elisha Gershaw, Chairman of the Commons Committee on Military Affairs. Normally the Chairman would be on the planet Forge, home of the Commons, or on his home world. But today was to be a joint session in the chambers of the Lords, to discuss the succession and other topics.

  “I realize you need ships at the front, Admiral,” said the MP, shrugging his shoulders. “But the people of my homeworld would crucify me if I took their protection away.”

  “But your homeworld is on the opposite side of the core space from Sector Four,” said Len, his voice rising. Calm down, Len. You’ll not get anywhere losing your cool with these people. “Look, Mr. Gershaw. If we don’t stop the Ca’cadasans in Sector Four then they will overrun the entire Core Sector. And where will your constituents be then?”

  “Let me think about this problem some more, Admiral,” said the MP. “Talk it over with some colleagues, and then I’ll get back with you.”

  “Very well, Mr. Gershaw. But don’t take too long.”

  “You know, Admiral. You might get more cooperation from Parliament if you went ahead and appeared before the Lords, as ordered.” The man turned away and the holo went blank, leaving Lenkowski to stare at the air above the projector.

  “And if I appeared before the Lord’s Committee I would disappear, just like those poor saps we found in the prison at Purgatory,” said the Admiral in an angry tone.

  “What are you going to do, sir?” asked Commander Zhen Yin, his new adjutant, looking up from the flat comp she was making notes on.

  “It would really help if we had an Emperor to make sure that all the little boys and girls behaved,” said Len, thinking of Sean. “And not that jackoff the Lords are trying to foist on us.” Len started pacing, back and forth, organizing his thoughts. He stopped, looked at the holo, and made up his mind on what needed doing.

  “Take down these orders,” said Len, his eyes still on the holo. “I want one half of all capital ships stationed in Home Fleet territory detached from their duty stations. They are to report to Conundrum as the components to the new Battle Fleet.”

  “Parliament will raise hell when they find out about that,” said Yin, giving the Admiral a quizzical look.

  “Let them. And I’m sure the MPs from the frontier and developing worlds will be all for it.” Len stopped for a moment and looked at his new adjutant. She was of Chinese extraction, a small, neat officer who moved like a cat. He had looked at her record, and knew that part of that was her lifetime of martial arts training, and part the augmentation she received while a member of a Naval Commando team. Good enough looking to bed, he thought, but dangerous enough to entertain second thoughts about trying. He also knew that she had a top security clearance, and had been checked out to the deepest levels for loyalty. His decision made, he continued his orders.

  “I want all shipyards to go immediately to double shifts. I know Parliament won’t like that either, and they’ll have to eventually approve the expenditures. But if we don’t get up to full war production, and quick, it won’t matter what they do.”

  He looked at his adjutant for a moment, and she gave him a level gaze back. Should have known that a commando wouldn’t get rattled just because the high brass is studying her.

  “If you’re going to be working with me, Zhen, you need to know about Bolthole.”

  “Bolthole? What is that? I’ve never heard that term before?”

  “Good thing, because if you had I would have to rethink our security procedures,” said the Admiral with a wink. “It’s about as top secret as it gets. And only a dozen people know the location. You will not be one of those, but it’s about time you learned of its existence.”

  So the Admiral told her about the hidden system that was outside the boundaries of the Empire, that was being built up to become the largest shipyard and manufacturing center in known space. When he was finished explaining what he could he gave her the clearance and code words she would need to access the information.

  “And the plan was that entire Fleets could be built there during a conflict, free from the fear that an enemy might come raiding the yards and destroy hundreds of millions of tons of shipping,” said Yin, furrowing her brows in thought.

  “That was the thought,” agreed Len, smiling.

  “Genius. And who thought of that?”

  “The Emperor Augustine, of course,” said the Admiral, his face scrunching up with emotion. “The Imperial family were all geniuses.” He opened his eyes to the concerned face of the Commander. “Of course, that can’t be said of all the family outside of the direct line.”

  “Like this cousin the Lords are trying to install,” said the Commander, nodding her head, a troubled look on her face.

  “God help us if that idiot gains the throne,” said Len, nodding back. “The best thing that could happen then would be for Streeter to keep a firm leash on him. At least the Prime Minister has some brains, if no sense of honor. But let that young reprobate slip the leash, and we’re all on a ship about to drop out of hyper.”

  “There’s a courier from Grand Marshal Yamakuri coming aboard,” called out the voice of a Security Chief over the intercom.

  “Were you expecting a courier?” asked Yin, her brow furrowing.

  “No,” said Len, shaking his head. “But then again, Mishori wouldn’t have felt the need to send a courier if he could tell me why the man was coming. Don’t be so suspicious, Commander. We’re near the center of one of the most powerful units in the Fleet. I really don’t think anyone will try anything here.”

  The Admiral walked over to his desk and hit the com. “Has the courier been cleared?”

  “Yes, sir,” replied the Security Chief. “We verified his identity and cleared him through the Hexagon.”

  “Then send him on up,” said the Admiral, looking over at Yin. “I know I might seem a little paranoid.”

  “No, sir,” said the woman. “They are out to get you, so you can’t be too careful.”

  Including getting someone from special ops to be my constant companion, thought the Admiral, smiling at the Commander.

  The door to the officer opened and a fit young man in Army dress uniform was escorted in by the Marine sentries. He had colonel rank on his shoulder boards and a ranger tab on his sleeve. Augmented, thought the Admiral as the man walked toward him.

  “I’m Colonel Jansen, Admiral” said the man, sticking out a hand.

  “Must be some important information you’re carrying, Colonel, to come all the way up here,” said Yin, looking at the man suspiciously.

  “Vital,” said the man, still moving toward the Admiral, who was coming out of his seat. “And of the highest security classification.”

  Lenkowski wasn’t sure what was going on at first. The man’s eyes seemed to change as he was just about to touch his hand to the Admiral’s. Yin jumped toward the man, moving in a blur of speed. He turned with the same kind of speed, thrusting his right hand, the one he had been offering to the Admiral, at her. Yin’s left hand struck downward on the Colonel’s right, and a small tube with a needle on the end fell to the floor.

  Lenkowski hit the alert button on his desk while sending a call for help through his link at the same time. The two enhanced humans battled it out, both sending out strikes and intercepting them with blocks at incredible speed. Yin got in a hit on the Colonel’s collarbone, and a return punch caught her in the chest, knocking her back. Both the blows would have disabled a normal human, but their reinforced bone structure shrugged them off.

  “Halt,” yelled the voice of a Marine NCO as two of the armored men moved into the room. Yin moved back a step and went totally still, obeying the Marine’s order, knowing better than to not do as she was told.

  The Colonel went to the floor, his hand darting for the object he had dropped. As he sprung back to his feet the sonics struck him. He resisted, trying to maintain his upward
momentum and reach the Admiral. As his eyes began to unfocus the assassin jabbed himself in the hand with the object he carried, then fell to the floor, eyes rolling up in his head. By the time the Marines could get to him he was dead.

  Lenkowski shook his head, trying to clear it from the residual effects of the bleed off from the sonics. Yin was at his side in an instant, checking his vitals through her link. “Just take it easy, Admiral,” she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “The medics will be here in a second.” She looked at the senior of the Marines. “Get this thing into secure storage,” she said, pointing at what was obviously a murder weapon. “I want to know what it was. And I want an autopsy on that body.”

  I definitely made the right choice for an adjutant, thought the Admiral, watching the woman in action.

  Later the Admiral contacted his counterparts in the other services, information in hand.

  “Well, I know I didn’t send a courier your way,” said Grand Marshal Mishori Yamakuri, the Army Chief of Staff. “I have my intelligence people checking the records at the Hexagon now to see where he might have come from, and who in the building might have vouched for him. So far no luck, but we’ll keep at it.”

  “Just make sure that you keep some of my people around you at all times, Len,” said Field Marshal Betty Parker, Commandant of the Imperial Marine Corps. “I’m just glad that there were some within range when this went down.”

  I’m going to have some of my own people around too, thought the Admiral, not saying it out loud for fear of offending his old friend. He looked over at the two hard looking ratings that Yin had assigned to his personal security detail. Both had the tattoos that naval commandos liked to sport on their arms, the Orca against a Galaxy. Should have had some of them on the job to start with.

  “You two be very careful as well,” said Len, looking at the split holo that showed both of his fellow service chiefs. “I know you are both on military installations, surrounded by people you trust. But if they can strike at me on a superbattleship, I’m sure they can strike at you on the planet’s surface.”

  “You’ve been more of the mouthpiece of our triad, Len,” said Betty, giving him an intense look through the holo. “They want to shut you up, before your talk to the news services upsets their plans.”

  Len nodded, knowing she spoke the truth. He had intentionally left them out of the whistle blower loop, preferring to take all of the risk himself, especially since he was off the planet, and not as easy a target. And you saw where that thinking got you.

  “Maybe we should think about implementing the Gamma Epsilon contingency,” said Mishori.. “We could have everything locked down by midnight Capitulum time.”

  That would mean martial law in the least, and possibly civil war, thought Len, chewing on a finger. We would hold the upper hand, but could still find ourselves fighting the planetary police forces, as well as the armed agents of a bunch of governmental agencies. Not really what we need at this time.

  “No, Mishori. I don’t think the time has come for that contingency, yet. Soon, maybe. But not yet.”

  “I’ll defer to your judgment,” said the Army Chief of Staff. “But perhaps we need a face to face to discuss our options.”

  “I agree,” said Betty, nodding. “And I couldn’t think of a better place for it than that big hawking ship of yours.”

  “Very well,” said Len after a moment’s thought. “Let’s all meet up here tomorrow at oh eight hundred.”

  And this would be so much easier of that boy would just get his ass to the capital so we can install him as Emperor, thought the Admiral. If he’s alive that is. I pray God he is, or we may all die in a military firing squad when the new Emperor takes over.

  * * *

  NEW TERRRAN EMPIRE EMBASSY, ELYSIUM, MARCH 22ND, 1000.

  “So, Gertrude, what’s the word on the street?” Ambassador Horatio Alexanderopolis leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers on his stomach, waiting for the young woman to speak.

  “The word on the street is trouble, Mr. Ambassador,” said Gertrude Bauman, the Imperial Intelligence Agency Chief of Station for the Embassy. “My sources tell me that the Knockermen are making waves in the assembly. And that these waves may spill out to the capital in general.”

  “But only among the Knockermen?” asked the Ambassador, thinking of the big reptilian creatures who were the third most populous race of the Elysium Empire, and were very well represented here at the capital. Maybe too well represented.

  “There may be some disaffection spread to the other races,” said the agent. “But yes, mostly among the Knockermen.”

  “From what I understand they are not a large presence in the military,” said Brigadier General Connie Contovy, the military liaison for the mission. “Hard to kill, yes. But not very swift or agile, and with modern weapons hard to kill is kind of meaningless.”

  “And what is the military presence of the Brakakak in the capital?” asked the Ambassador, almost afraid of the answer, which confirmed his fears when it came.

  “There is about a division of light infantry on the planet, which is mostly Brakakak,” said the General. “And maybe forty percent of the police and security force is of that race.”

  “And the system Navy?”

  “Not much there either, your Grace,” said the officer. “About fifteen warships, mostly with mixed crews. The good news is that there are no majority Knockermen among them. But if this flares into a revolt that could change in a moment.”

  “And how likely is that to happen?” he asked his IIA Chief.

  “From what I have been hearing from my network, very likely,” said the Station Chief.

  “And the High Lord was telling me he might be asking for a favor sometime soon,” said Horatio, looking at the holo picture on the wall that showed a tranquil lake on his homeworld, and wishing he were back there. “And what are our assets if we have to withstand a siege?”

  “We have the Marine combat company, of course,” said the General. “About two hundred troops, and the suits to equip them.”

  “Say fifty embassy personnel that are or at one time were in the military, or who belong to intelligence services,” said Gertrude. “We have the heavy suits to equip them as well, and another forty people.”

  “And the Embassy defenses, electromag and weaponry, are solid,” chimed in the General.

  “And if we’re hit from space?”

  “Then we’re shit out of luck,” said the Army officer with a frown. “A couple of medium yield kinetic rounds and this building is gone. Of course, we can survive in the shelter, which is a destroyer central capsule. But if they bring down some heavy stuff we’re fried.”

  “I don’t think they will do that right in the middle of their capital city, sir,” said Gertrude, glancing at the officer, then back at Horatio. “That would cause a lot of collateral damage. And kill a lot of sentient beings.”

  “Depends on what the Knockermen view as acceptable damage,” said the General, looking at the agent with a superior expression. “Or who they see as sentient beings.”

  “They wouldn’t want war with our Empire,” said Bauman, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “If they spun it right, they might be able to blame their opponents,” said the General.

  “No use arguing about what they might or might not do, based on what we think they are thinking,” said Horatio, a slight smile on his face as he thought about what he was saying. “Here’s what I want to do. Get those people checked out on suits that might be able to use them. And keep the Marine reaction force ready in suits all day, every day, rotating them through it. Everyone else, myself included, needs to be familiarized on weapons, and that includes any children over the age of twelve. We may not be able to withstand an assault, but I sure want whoever tries to roll over us to remember that humans might become their worst nightmare. Now let’s get to work.”

  An hour later the Ambassador was on the small range underneath the Embassy, firing bot
h particle beam pistols and mag weapons. He thought he would carry a mag pistol, but wanted to know how to use the rifles if need be. Once a Marine, always a Marine, he thought as he sent round after round into the target. But that had been over a hundred and fifty years before, and though he knew he could shoot, he wasn’t sure he was up to the physical rigors of combat.

  After firing he went to watch some younger people wrestle with the complications of using powered armor on the Marine training range, something that looked so easy to most people when they saw a professional do it, and excruciatingly hard when trying to do it themselves.

  “It’s going to happen soon,” said the Station Chief to the Ambassador the next day at lunch. “My cells tell me that the weapons are coming out, the warriors gathering.”

  “How soon?”

  “Maybe as soon as tomorrow. Maybe next week. But definitely no later, unless the Knockermen chicken out.”

  An hour later the High Lord sent a coded message through to the Embassy. “Remember that favor I asked about? I will need it soon.”

  The next morning the Ambassador was awakened from his bed by a warning signal over the Embassy com. As soon as he woke he could feel the rumbling through the bed, and knew that a civil war had started in the Elysium Empire.

  * * *

  “So, he is the heir to the throne of his Empire,” said the Great Admiral, looking across the table at his Intelligence Chief.

  “That is what the human who worked with him believed,” said the Intelligence Admiral. “And from the monitoring of her physiology we have no reason to doubt her. Or that she believes there is no one else that can really do the job, at least in the eyes of their navy.”

  “And she is not holding back any information?”

  “Of course she is, Great Admiral,” said the intelligence officer with a grin. “It is only natural that she would try to protect her people. But with Ben as her bed mate we feel that she will begin to divulge more information, over time. I think you agree that such a source into the mind of their ruler does not need to be served to the men.”