I signed off. Then, another minute later, I called Ghost-3, and sent a secret order to go five hours away from my ships toward the Himora station. After that, they were to stop, not reveal themselves, and send us their coordinates.
Now all that was left was to wait...
* * *
"You are speaking with the Sector Eight Fleet Commander Viscount Sivir ton Mesfelle. Listen carefully! This is a message for my ships, as well as Georg’s. Head toward the Himora system. There is no beacon there now but, in five minutes, the Himora system warp beacon will be turned on. Well, they promised it would, at least. We all need to jump to that system while the beacon is on for us. Make sure to do it in good time. That is an order!"
I buried my face in my palm. I mean, who talks like that?! He could have said the same thing with half as many words, and it would have been twice as intelligible. What made it worse was that the Viscount's voice was extremely grating. If you're gonna give commands, you need to speak clearly, loudly, and distinctly, without mumbling.
"Ghost-2, what are the Aliens doing?"
"My Prince, all the Alien starships are turning! They are changing their trajectory!"
"Toward Himora?" I clarified, receiving a positive answer.
Everything became clear. Our ships were, in fact, being watched. I turned on my fleet channel.
"Complete radio silence! Accelerate toward Himora. Stand by for jump coordinates. When the Viscount issues the command to jump to Himora, all ships in my fleet must warp to zero at the coordinates I send. I repeat again: complete radio silence. If anyone says even one word in the next five minutes, they will be punished for exposing a military secret."
Three minutes remained until the Himora warp beacon would turn on. Two... One...
"Communications officer, stand by. Action in thirty seconds. Repeat my order back for me."
"In thirty seconds, arrange a group call with all ships on the list prepared by your Highness. It's all been ready for a while. I just have to press the call button."
"Yes, that's exactly right. Ten seconds... Three, two, one, GO!"
The screen lit up with several windows showing the confused faces of Sector Eight Fleet captains. They clearly didn't understand what was happening.
"Attention, everyone! When the warp beacon is turned on, don't jump to the Himora system right away! You must wait ten seconds! Your very survival depends on it!!! And, before you jump, cover sensitive external equipment. That is also very important! That is all. Good luck!"
The last seconds ticked by. The time had come!
"New beacon visible!" screamed the navigator of One-Eyed Python, and our light cruiser left into the warp tunnel that very second.
It wasn't a long flight. In just ten seconds, my ships came out at a different point in the Hnelle star system.
"My Prince, Ghost-5 here. The bombers have hit the remaining Sector Eight Fleet heavy ships. We uncovered an Alien cloaker! Warhawk-4 and Flycatcher-15 have already captured it and are working on shooting it down. That is all. I await further orders! It was a beautiful tactic, if you don’t mind me saying. They bought the fake jump to Himora hook, line and sinker!"
"Ghost-2 here. The Alien fleet has completely left the Hnelle system. They're on the way to Himora!"
A dismayed voice rang out on the common channel:
"Oorast Pohl here, captain of Master of Tesse. Prince Georg, I don't understand a damn thing. The beacon turned off too fast. We weren't able to follow our fleet out, then your bombers blasted us. What was that about? And when will the Himora beacon turn back on?"
"My old friend, what you just saw happen was me not allowing you all to die by carrying out the Viscount's idiotic order. The Queen just went to Himora with her fleet of one thousand five hundred ships. If you had gone to the beacon, you would have died, too."
Silence took over. Everyone was digesting the new information.
"What have you done, Georg!?" My cousin was looking at me, her eyes wide in horror. "Because it looks like you just destroyed the Perimeter Sector Eight Fleet and killed its commander!"
I turned sharply to Katerina ton Mesfelle. There were lightning bolts in my eyes.
"No, cousin. That is not how I see it at all! No one dragged the Sector Eight Fleet Commander here to fight, nor did anyone force him to warp to Himora. He led his own fleet to their death, and there was no way I could have stopped him. All I did was save his fleet's most valuable ships for the good of the Empire, though I had absolutely no obligation to do so. And that is what your report should say! The main reason for the disaster is Viscount Sivir ton Mesfelle, who, despite not even having the minimum fleet leadership ability, dreamed of achieving military glory in order to earn the title of Count. But now, screw him. Let him show his abilities as a Fleet Commander in Himora! He'll have ample opportunity! All the same, I will not allow the Viscount's stupidity to kill my old friends! And now, your mission is to think up a legal basis to include the rescued ships in my fleet!"
Katerina shook her head in uncertainty. My cousin did not argue with me, but was showing clearly that I had not convinced her. Alright, we'd have plenty of time to discuss the unforeseen consequences of my actions later. For now, we had more important missions. I switched the microphone over to the common channel and issued a command:
"Master of Tesse, Bride of Chaos, Princess Astra, Indigo Beauty, and all fleet cruisers, prepare your boarding teams! We've only got six hours before the Aliens get to Himora. We need to capture the Hnelle station and turn off the warp beacon before they get there! And another thing... Welcome back, old friends!"
New Plans
I was sitting in an uncomfortable armchair and stoically bearing all the mockery coming from my team of stylists, make-up artists, and image planners. First I got my gray hair dyed, then I got a facial massage. My skin was rubbed down with special oils, and rejuvenated up with electrotherapy. I also got my facial muscles tightened up with chemical microinjections. The muscular Ayna was helping a frail costume artist pull a tight corset onto my so-called waist in order to hide my huge bulky paunch from view. Katerina ton Mesfelle, not paying attention to all the hustle and bustle, was walking nervously through the room and browbeating me:
"Georg, you have far too frivolous an outlook here! You simply have no understanding of the depth of the tragedy about to befall us!"
"Alright, drop it, cousin! We finished the main assignment. My capital, Unatari, is no longer under threat of destruction. What's more, the neighboring star system, Hnelle is back under our control, and the Alien Queen, together with her fairly battered armada, has been squeezed out to Himora. If anyone had tried to tell me before the battle, given the fifteen-to-one ship disadvantage, that such a brilliant outcome was even at all possible, I would have laughed in that person's face and called them a crackpot. Many had their doubts that we could even survive the battle. But we didn't just survive, we took twenty-six starships for the Unatari Fleet, and four of them are even battleships! Oof, not so tight. I’d like to be able to breathe, if possible!" The last sentence was directed at Ayna, who was clearly trying to fit me into an hourglass shape, completely ignoring the real state of my belly.
She loosened the strings a bit, and it became somewhat easier for me to breathe. But then, Katerina came up, evaluated the work done by Ayna, and shook her head skeptically:
"Leave it where it is in the chest, but we need to take the waist in at least another two inches, otherwise the Crown Prince won't fit into the ceremonial suit we've prepared for his speech."
The former gladiator set about retying the strings with a renewed force. My cousin, though, continued nagging me:
"Yes, brother, your capital was saved, but at what price? The Sector Eight Fleet has been completely destroyed. The Himora star system has been lost to humanity. The only son of the Orange House Head is now missing in action. The Duke is in a rage, promising horrific punishments for anyone involved in his son's disappearance. The accusations of desertion and treason
directed at the officers who joined us are just fluff compared with what Duke Avalle has in store for you! The Duke is cunning and guileful, and you have just risen to the top of his personal enemies list!"
My cousin probably would have kept pestering me, but just then a panting officer burst into the make-up studio:
"Crown Prince Georg, the Throne World is on line one. Emperor August would like to speak with your Highness!"
Everyone around began exchanging frightened glances and, a second later, a frenzy of activity was boiling away. They picked me up, packed me unceremoniously into my suit, and shoved me down the hall into my office. The screen was already turned on when I got there and the leader of the Empire was on screen, clearly waiting impatiently for me.
"I am deeply honored to have the opportunity for a face-to-face meeting with Your Imperial Highness!" In full compliance with courtly etiquette, I bowed down on one knee and greeted the most influential Imperial aristocrat.
"You may stand, Georg. This is no time for ceremony. And ask any strangers to clear the room. Our conversation will breach some quite delicate issues. Your advisor Katerina ton Mesfelle can stay, though."
My cousin, already crossing the threshold out the door, turned around, approached me and stood at my side. The guards and servants, though, almost ran to leave. Even the Chameleons emerged from camouflage to show that they too were leaving into the hallway. The door had barely swung shut before August continued:
"I have received worrisome news that you are planning to make a grand speech forty minutes from now before the people of Unatari and the soldiers loyal to you. Georg, it isn't yet too late to stop what you’re doing. There will be no going back from this mistake."
Despite the official nature of the moment, I could not hide my confusion. I turned to look at Katerina, but my cousin could only shrug her shoulders as well.
"My Emperor, I am actually preparing to make a speech before the people of Astorimma. I need to calm the population and tell them of our brilliant victory over the Aliens in the Hnelle system. The people of Unatari have spent the last two weeks in a state of constant fear, knowing that death could arrive at their doorstep at any minute. Many had even stopped hoping for rescue. That is why I simply must speak; to tell them that the threat of Alien invasion has passed, and that they can now breathe a sigh of relief. One thing I absolutely do not understand is why you’re saying my speech could have irreversible consequences, and why your Imperial Highness found it cause for worry."
The Emperor began thinking for several seconds, then said, looking me in the eye and watching my reaction:
"Georg, representatives of three of the Great Houses came to me today. They all, as one, affirmed that you are a traitor. They allegedly have access to information that you are intending to found your own government in the forthcoming speech. They say that it will not be subject to either Orange House or the Throne World. And though this behavior doesn't quite align with the picture of you I have in my head, the representatives of these Great Houses really were able to sew a grain of doubt in me..."
The man went silent, clearly waiting for me to say something and ease his mind. I bowed down on one knee again and lowered my head.
"My Emperor, the Dark Mother cannot be too far away. I ask your Truth Seeker to join our conversation and test the veracity of my words."
And I was not wrong. The ancient black-robed lady stepped on scene from just off camera. The Dark Mother was smiling cordially at me, standing next to the Emperor. I then began speaking loudly and clearly, stopping from time to time to give the Truth Seeker a chance to evaluate what I'd said:
"I never, even in the deepest recesses of my mind, considered possibility of betraying your Imperial Majesty. My only concern is strengthening the Empire's defensive capabilities, and advancing the human race further into the cosmos. I have, in fact, considered the possibility of withdrawing from the Orange House and creating my own separate government. But that was all nine or ten months ago, when there were more than twenty star systems under my control. But even then, the planned government with its capital in Unatari, would have remained a part of the Human Empire and would unconditionally have submitted to your Imperial Majesty."
"He speaks the truth." The old lady gave her verdict. "August, your grand-nephew harbors no negative thoughts against you, or the Empire as a whole. I see in his thoughts nothing but considerable frustration with the present leader of the Orange House and a number of plans directed against Duke Avalle. I can also see the remnants of the old dream he just referenced about a big strong government with its capital in Unatari..."
I hurried to intervene, as the Emperor could have taken the Dark Mother's words the wrong way.
"In any case, it turned out not to be necessary, and I didn’t take the radical step of forming my own Kingdom. The conflict in the Orange House ended in victory for my side. But, as his older brother Paolo before him, Avalle has also set his sights on systems that are mine by right. The crafty villain has stolen from me the Tivalle star system, which had been my main source of income. Like the first conflict in the Orange House, the current crisis is one of relations between myself and the new Duke, and even the Alien invasion of the Hnelle system is nothing but a consequence of his impudent theft of the resource-rich Tivalle star system."
"A curious point of view. I hadn't looked at these events through that lens before," the old man on the screen began stroking his gray beard in contemplation. "And who, then, does this disputed system belong to, given all the recent events?"
Hiding the truth from the Emperor, especially in the presence of the Dark Mother, was not a particularly sensible act, so I answered as honestly as possible:
"Three hours ago, my landing troops took all ice-processing plants under their control and arrested the managers appointed by Viscount Sivir. So, in fact, the Tivalle star system has returned to its legal ruler."
August began laughing uncontrollably:
"So then, you’re telling me this is all over that?! Much has become clear to me. You've earned yourself some seriously powerful enemies here, grand-nephew! Now, they won't be satisfied until they’ve eaten you whole!"
I could only smirk malignantly in reply:
"They're trying to pressure me! It would have been better if I’d recaptured Tivalle long ago, right after its abominable theft. But I tried to remain inside the bounds of the law, appealing to earlier agreements between Avalle and myself and relying on the just nature of the Orange House Head. But the Duke took my restraint as a sign of weakness, which caused him to think he could ignore my legal rights and wipe his feet with me. I don't see any explanation for why Viscount Sivir ton Mesfelle was appointed Perimeter Sector Eight Fleet Commander other than as an attempt to make him a good candidate for Count in circumvention of myself and other aristocrats. For my part, I can say that I have never seen a worse commander than Sivir ton Mesfelle in my entire life!"
Unexpectedly, August slightly agreed with me on the Viscount, and asked me to explain in complete detail what had happened in Hnelle and Himora. Also, the Emperor admitted that he had personally been watching the broadcast of the battle, and even congratulated Katerina ton Mesfelle on her excellent reporting. My cousin began blushing and made a low bow, clearly embarrassed at the praise.
After my detailed retelling of the course of the difficult battle, I told him the data from my spy frigate in the Himora system:
"There wasn't really a battle as such in Himora. It was just a beat down. A football game with one end-zone. The Aliens swept up the remnants of the Sector Eight Fleet no problem. The Aliens had enough frigates and destroyers left to capture and hold all of Viscount Sivir's starships. No one got out. The Sector Eight Fleet was totally wiped out, with the exception of its flagship. The battleship Orange Majesty didn't even try to resist, instead immediately surrendering and putting down its energy shield. The Aliens decided not to destroy it after that, and sent their landing modules out. It's all on the video I sent to the Imp
erial Joint Chiefs in a message labeled TOP-SECRET."
The Dark Mother confirmed what I said. The Emperor knit his brows and began thinking for a long time. Katerina and I also kept silent, not wanting to interfere with August's thought process. Finally, the old man on screen spoke up:
"Georg, I will not criticize you or punish you for this. These were decisions made in a trying time. All the same, I cannot say I approve of all of them. Your story about the battle in the Hnelle system generally corresponds to the evaluation made by military experts from the Joint Chiefs: given the balance of forces, victory was theoretically impossible. Crown Prince Georg, you performed a real miracle by saving his ships and causing serious losses to the Aliens at the same time. I will not allow the mistake that led to this disaster to be repeated. The new commander of the Sector Eight Fleet will be appointed by me personally, and I will not be considering how closely said person is related to Duke Avalle royl Anjer. My priority will be how skilled they are in fleet leadership and command. I'll help the new commander with ships and finances, so the Sector Eight Fleet will be reborn soon. But in the future, grand-nephew, I order you never to sacrifice allied fleets in pursuit of your own goals ever again."
I gave the Emperor another low bow. The storm had passed. I could feel it all over my skin. Katerina knew it too, and gave me a wink of encouragement. Meanwhile, the Emperor continued:
"My interest was piqued by the story of the Chameleon female who sacrificed herself to save thousands of people. I would like to award her a posthumous medal. What was that hero's name?"
"My Emperor," I said, giving another low bow, "in Ravaash tradition, names are only given to male-gendered individuals. Females do not have names, although some of them do change gender and would then be assigned a name. But the captain of Surprise-1 was a young female, never having changed gender, so she did not possess a personal name. To the whole fleet, she was simply known as the captain of Surprise-1, and it will be with that very name that she will remain in memories of our soldiers."
New Contract (Perimeter Defense Book #3) Page 9
