Earthman Jack vs. The Secret Army (Earthman Jack Space Saga Book 2)

by Matthew Kadish

  The Directors were about to object again until Anna raised her hand to signal them to be quiet. Anna looked at Truetone, being sure to keep her face calm and measured. “My sincerest apologies if this action offended your Emperor, Ambassador,” Anna said. “We wish nothing more than peace and friendship with the Visini people.”

  “Peace and friendship?” replied Truetone. “To Emperor Maxmillen, the only name more vile than that of Harkon the Black is Scallywag the Red. It was because of these men that our Empires went to war. And yet, you choose to harbor one of them?”

  “Funny, you did not speak so ill of either of them when they were slaughtering our fleets in the Border War,” Jamerones replied.

  “That was before they changed their skin and revealed their true villainy,” Truetone said. “Harkon may have escaped justice by throwing himself into the Nexus, but we have made it a point to make examples of those who supported him. Each one of Harkon’s lieutenants who did not follow him into exile has been brought to justice so far, save for Scallywag the Red. And now we find that he is not only harbored by you, but is also protected.”

  “Ambassador,” said Anna. “I realize our two Empires have a long and complicated history. And it saddens me that our actions have upset you and your Emperor. But I can assure you, our reasons for doing this were never meant to be antagonistic.”

  “Perhaps if you’d be so kind as to explain your reasons for granting asylum to a treacherous, vile, piece of scum such as Scallywag the Red, then I could better suppress my people’s anger over this travesty of justice.”

  Anna frowned. She hadn’t been aware of Scallywag’s past until they’d returned to Omnicron. But without him, Jack would have never been able to rescue her or defeat the Deathlords. It saddened her to hear Scallywag talked about in such a disparaging way. He may have been a scoundrel, but he’d been a hero when it counted. “Ambassador Truetone,” Anna finally replied. “I feel I should tell you the truth about—”

  “The truth is, we do not need to explain anything to you,” interrupted Director Casgor.

  The Visini’s eyes narrowed as he gazed at Casgor.

  “The decision to pardon Scallywag the Red was part of an internal matter, which we have no desire to discuss,” continued Casgor. “The Great Border War was a long time ago, Ambassador. And in case you haven’t noticed, we have far greater enemies to concern ourselves with than a disgraced Visini admiral turned pirate. The Deathlords make Harkon the Black look like a choir boy. So you’ll have to forgive us if this issue is not a priority when it comes to how we choose to operate our government.”

  “Furthermore,” chimed in Ridsco. “If we are willing to forgive a man who was responsible for the destruction of so many of our ships and so many of our soldiers, then surely it is not unreasonable to expect your Empire to respect that decision.”

  “You believe it is we who are acting unreasonable?” growled Truetone. “Harkon nearly brought our Empire to its knees, and Scallywag the Red was standing at his side the whole time. You lost ships and soldiers, but we lost cities, nations, entire planets to Harkon’s madness. It was only through our truce and combined efforts that we were able to curb his path of destruction and end the war between our people. And yet, rather than hand him over to face our justice, you choose to thumb your nose at us and protect this villain? Gentlemen, that is the very definition of unreasonable.”

  “We can debate what is and isn’t reasonable all day long, Ambassador,” said Director Phenberg. “The fact is, the Princess chose to issue this pardon, and thus, it was issued. We stipulated that should Scallywag the Red break any Regalus law, the pardon will be revoked. But until such time, I’m afraid we must stand by our decision. As always, if the pirate chooses to enter Visini space, you are free to do with him as you please.”

  Truetone looked at Anna. “I still wish to know what Scallywag the Red is to Her Imperial Highness,” he said. “What could he have possibly done to not only get her attention, but motivate her to forgive his multiple heinous crimes?”

  Anna shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She wanted to explain the truth to the ambassador, but it was obvious the Directors felt it wiser not to. “I’m afraid I don’t know what to tell you, Ambassador,” Anna said. “My only hope is that we can heal the wounds of the past and move forward—”

  “Spare me your worthless platitudes, Princess,” snapped Truetone. “The Visini Empire demands a straight answer! Why have you pardoned this criminal?”

  “We will not warn you again, Ambassador!” said Director Zersee heatedly, pointing his finger toward Truetone. “You are not to speak to Her Imperial Highness in such a fashion!”

  “You’ll have to forgive me, Director,” sneered Truetone. “I tend to show only as much respect as is extended toward me. And right now, I am sensing an utter lack of such a thing.”

  “Our Empire numbers in the hundreds of planets,” Jamerones replied. “Billions upon billions upon billions of citizens. We have the most powerful military in existence and the one person in the entire universe with a connection to technology so advanced, it puts all the rest to shame. If you are looking for something to respect, ambassador, be smart enough to respect that.”

  “My empire may be smaller than yours,” said Truetone, his voice cold and hard. “But at the very least I can say my people are not ruled by a witless, vapid, spoiled child.”

  The insult took everyone aback with its directness. Even Anna was shocked, as she felt her chest tighten in horror. “HOW DARE YOU, SIR!” Director Zersee yelled, indignantly shooting up to his feet.

  “Mind your tongue, ambassador!” cautioned Director Ridsco, forcefully. “You speak of the ruler of the greatest Empire in the known universe!”

  “Ruler?” scoffed Truetone, looking directly at Anna. “Is that what you call this little female, who makes no real decisions other than what to wear in front of the cameras as you lot and the Legacies squabble with one another? If this is your idea of what a Ruler is, it’s no wonder your Empire is falling apart at the seams.”

  “What… what do you mean?” asked Anna, the ambassador’s words washing over her like icy water.

  An uncomfortable silence fell over the Directors as Truetone looked at them, himself slightly surprised. “Oh my,” said Truetone. “It would seem your ‘Ruler’ is not even aware that her kingdom is hanging on to its very existence by a thread.”

  “Ambassador, we are not here to discuss—” Casgor started to say.

  “Since your stooges do not wish to speak the truth to you, Your Highness, allow me,” Truetone said loudly over Casgor. “I speak of rebellion... civil unrest… treacherous Legacies. I speak of how the so-called ‘greatest Empire in the known universe’ is starting to crumble even as we speak.”

  Images of her throne room crumbling and the galaxy breaking apart in front of her flashed into Anna’s mind.

  You are not worthy.

  “That is enough, Ambassador!” cried Casgor as he shot to his feet. “One more disrespectful word from you and I will have you arrested for contempt of Her Imperial Highness, diplomacy be damned!”

  “Oh, I believe we are far beyond diplomacy now, Director,” said Truetone quietly. “We’re currently firmly in the threatening stage. You’re quick to point out to me why my people should be intimidated by your Empire. Allow me to tell you why you should be intimidated by mine. Though our military is smaller, it was still able to fight you toe-to-toe in the Border War. Every Visini soldier is worth ten of yours. So we do not fear your military, especially when it is tied up in policing your own people. And we’ve been able to expand and thrive without the use of Ancient technology. It was Visini scientists who discovered hyperspace and lightspeed travel on their own, without the need to rely on a thousand year old race to get a shortcut in advancement. In short, we are smarter, stronger, and more versatile than any Regal, and our Empire grows more powerful as yours continues to fracture. So forgive me if neither I, nor Emperor Maxmillen, is frightened by your post
uring. Now, allow me to make things extremely simple for you and your child ruler… revoke your Royal Pardon and hand over Scallywag the Red to face Visini justice, or be prepared to face the consequences.”

  All five Directors got to their feet and began to shout at Truetone. Something deep down inside of Anna sparked, making her feel angry. Angry at the ambassador. Angry at the Directors. Angry at the universe. That spark quickly became a rampaging wildfire, and she could not contain it. Nor did she want to.

  “SILENCE!” she screamed.

  The Directors instantly quieted, looking at Anna in surprise. Anna got to her feet and walked toward Ambassador Truetone, making sure not to break away from contact with his gaze. She stood in front of him, glaring into his eyes, not the least bit afraid or intimidated.

  “Ambassador,” Anna said quietly. “Please be so kind as to deliver this message to Emperor Maxmillen. Tell him, if he wants Scallywag the Red so badly, he is welcome to come here himself and get him. Barring that, Scallywag will remain under our protection. I may be a child, but make no mistake about it… I am a ruler. And I do not bow to threats from lackeys. If Maxmillen wishes to go to war over a petty, decades-old vendetta, then so be it. But if he does choose to go down that road, then he had better be absolutely positive that we are as weak as you believe us to be. Because with the Planetkiller fleet gone, I can assure you our military will not hesitate one second to rush to the border to show you just how strong we truly are.”

  Anna’s words caused Truetone to shift on his feet uncomfortably.

  “That is what you want me to communicate to my Emperor?” Truetone asked.

  “It is,” replied Anna. “And when next we meet, I expect our exchange to be civil and polite, or you can be sure to add ‘vindictive’ and ‘merciless’ to that list of adjectives you used to describe me. Do I make myself clear?”

  Truetone bowed his head stiffly. “You do indeed, Your Highness,” he replied.

  “Then your audience is now over,” Anna said. “Please give my regards to your Emperor. I eagerly await his response.”

  Without another word, Truetone bowed and marched out of the council chambers. As Anna watched him go, whatever anger had come over her abruptly fled, and she was immediately so nervous she was practically shaking.

  “I knew something like this would happen,” grumbled Jamerones. “I told you all when we made our deal with that pirate that it would come back to bite us.”

  “What would you have us do? Not reward someone who risked his life to save our Princess and the universe at large?” asked Zersee. “It wouldn’t really motivate others to come to our defense in future times of need, would it?”

  “As intimidating as Truetone is, he is nothing more than empty threats,” Casgor said. “We all know Maxmillen will not go to war over a matter such as this. I believe the Princess handled that situation with great finesse.”

  Anna turned to face the Directors, her face troubled. “What did he mean,” she asked, “about the Empire crumbling?”

  “He meant nothing, Your Highness,” replied Ridsco, rubbing his hands fretfully. “He was merely posturing to try to get us to cave to his demands – a cheap political trick meant to intimidate us.”

  “The Empire always faces its fair share of crises,” chimed in Phenberg. “There’s always one disaster or another occurring. It can make it seem as though things are worse than they actually are, but it is all a normal part of running a government so large.”

  “The Visini simply wish to provoke us,” grumbled Jamerones. “They’re just itching for an excuse to make another territory grab, and they think this ‘Scallywag’ business is exactly that.”

  “Pay no attention to those heathens, Your Highness,” said Zersee. “We all know the Empire has struggled since the destruction of Regalus Prime. But our enemies like to try and blow that out of proportion for their own agendas. You handled this situation masterfully – better than any of us could have.”

  Anna nodded, but she was still troubled by what Truetone had said. The ambassador had mocked her, just as those in her court had mocked her in her vision. Was that what it had meant? That she is simply pretending to be a ruler while everything her ancestors built crumbles around her?

  You are not worthy.

  “Thank you, Directors,” she finally said. “I appreciate your wisdom on this matter. Director Casgor, would you be so kind as to escort me back to the Palace Floor?”

  “With pleasure, Your Highness,” Casgor said with a bow.

  As they walked down the hallway toward the teleporter, Anna looked behind her to see that they were truly alone. Only Rionknidis was there, following at a respectable distance. Casgor looked at her curiously. “Is something wrong, Your Highness?”

  “Director, you have always been the most candid with me,” Anna replied. “Tell me truly… is what the others told me accurate? Or was Ambassador Truetone right about what is happening to my Empire?”

  Casgor frowned. “I will not sugar-coat it, Princess. Though my peers try and play it off to spare you worry, things are not good out there.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Anna, concerned.

  “I mean that the Ambassador, while crass, wasn’t far off with his assessment of the current state of our Empire,” replied Casgor. “Ever since Regalus Prime fell, we’ve been struggling to keep everything from falling apart. But the good news is that we’ve succeeded, thus far, at least.”

  “Why did no one tell me things were so… dire?” Anna inquired. “I knew we had troubles, but… it sounds as though the Regalus Empire is on its last legs!”

  “I would not venture to say things are quite that bad, Your Highness,” Casgor said. “Ruling such a vast kingdom… it presents its fair share of challenges. The Deathlords have made it their goal to ensure those challenges are more difficult than ever. You are still too young and inexperienced to bother with many of these issues. My peers and I decided long ago to shield you from the burden they carry. Once you ascend to the throne with Mourdock Skyborn at your side, then perhaps we will take some of these issues to you for council. But until such time, do not concern yourself with worry. Focus on your studies and allow us to do our jobs. Despite appearances, we are quite good at them.”

  You are not worthy.

  “Thank you for being honest with me, Director,” Anna said. “I appreciate it.”

  “I am, as always, your loyal and humble servant, Your Highness,” replied Casgor with a bow of his head.

  As Anna made her way to the elevator that would take her back to her quarters, she tried to accept Casgor’s words. But her mind remained troubled. Perhaps she’d made the mistake of being too trusting of others to take care of her kingdom? Perhaps she’d over-estimated the abilities of those who had been put in charge? Perhaps that is why the ghosts of her ancestors had been haunting her dreams? As much as she was afraid to admit it, she couldn’t deny it any longer…

  If things truly were as bad as she’d been led to believe, then it was going to be up to her to do something about it.

  Chapter 31

  Miracle Max's Blave & Boozskeller was on the edge of stratum 80, peeking out just far enough from the stratum above it to get real sunlight. Jack definitely noticed a difference in the buildings the further down the stratums he went. This building certainly looked like it had seen better days. The digital billboards on it had dead sections, which created gaps in the images that were playing, and the crowd coming and going from the structure certainly seemed more unsavory than he was used to.

  Jack checked his mental map again. His ship was without a doubt telling him Grohm was in there. Jack guessed he shouldn’t be too surprised. During the month they’d spent travelling to Omnicron, Grohm had barely left the galley. He guessed the Rognok just liked to hang out in places that served food and drinks.

  Jack made his way inside. The bar was pretty big, but not very well lit. It had a dingy quality to it. Visual displays were everywhere, playing various sporting events fro
m around the Empire. Some strange music was playing from the scratchy sound system. There were lots of patrons of various species sitting around, drinking and eating odd-looking bar food. Jack felt very out of place, like he were somewhere he shouldn’t be. The only other time he’d been someplace that could be considered a bar was when he’d visited Club Cristo, and that hadn’t exactly gone so well.

  Grohm wasn’t hard to spot. The Rognok was bigger than anyone else in the establishment. He sat hunched over a table that was almost too small for him, cradling a massive metal mug in one of his hands. No one in the bar seemed to pay him much attention, but they still gave him a wide berth, it seemed.

  Jack smiled. It was good to see the Rognok again. With all that had been going on, his mission to recruit his friends for his search for Khoruhar had gotten side-tracked. He’d put off approaching Grohm until last because he was pretty sure he could count on Grohm to join him. Jack was convinced the Rognok wouldn’t care about possible dangers, and it wasn’t like the massive alien had much else to do. His planet was gone, as well, and he didn’t seem to have any direction in life, either.

  “S’up, Big Guy?” Jack said with a smile as he approached. Grohm glanced up briefly and grunted, which was as close to saying ‘hi’ as the Rognok ever got. If he were surprised or happy to see Jack, it didn’t show. “Mind if I join ya?” Jack asked.

  Grohm responded by taking a drink from his mug. Jack slid onto the chair next to him. Before he could speak, a squat barmaid approached, her body almost as wide as it was tall. She had big eyes, antennae jutting from her forehead, and her red hair was done up in a beehive bun that added an extra foot to her height. “Welcome to Miracle Max, hon,” she said, producing a datapad from her massive hairdo. “What would you care to blave today?”

  “Uh, what?” asked Jack.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” she clarified.

  “Oh. Um… I’ll have what he’s having,” said Jack, referring to the massive metal cup from which Grohm was drinking.