Mutineer (Empire Rising Book 7)

by D. J. Holmes

  I didn’t know whether I should send you this or not. I don’t know if it is genuine or just rumor. In the end, you’re the best one to decide what to do with this information. We got wind of it through one of our military contacts. They were discussing a contract the Foundation has with the UN. The contact wanted to know if the military tribunal would have any impact on the Foundation’s willingness to offer such generous terms. One of my protégés was handling the negotiations and when she pushed the contact about what tribunal he was talking about, he quickly changed the topic. It seems when he perceived we didn’t know anything about a tribunal, he realized he had put his foot in it and refused to say anything more. No amount of badgering could get him to open up. However, we’ve done some digging since.

  I have information that suggests the UN Military Council is planning to hold a tribunal to remove James from command of the Outer Defense Fleet. They will be charging him with abandoning his post and failing to discharge his duty. I have included the information we gathered, it is sketchy, but it points in one direction. I’ll let you assess its veracity yourself. We know most of the Admirals on the Military Council have it out for James. This may just be a rumor, but it’s a believable one. I don’t know if you already know about this, or if there is anything you can do. But I thought you should know. I’ll keep digging and pass on any more information I get.

  Apart from this, everything else is good with the Foundation. I hope this letter finds you well.

  Yours,

  Andréa.

  Switching files, Suzanna scanned the documents Andréa had sent with her letter. She was right, there was nothing definite. But there were indications a military tribunal was being prepared in secret. The tentative date one of Andréa’s sources had given was in two weeks’ time. That’s just enough time to get to Earth and intervene, Suzanna thought.

  With a couple of taps on her datapad she pulled up her schedule for the next month. There was nothing pressing she couldn’t postpone or delegate to her deputy. Plus, there’s a number of people I need to see on Earth. Potential investment opportunities I need to encourage. We need to attract more industries to Haven and a personal visit from the First Councilor is just the thing some Earth CEOs might need.

  With a tap she opened a COM channel to her secretary. “Cynthia, can you see if Pennington is still in her office?”

  “Hold on ma’am… Yes, she is. Shall I let her secretary know you’re coming over?”

  “Yes please do,” Suzanna replied as she grabbed her datapad and stood. “And contact Scimitar’s crew. Tell them to prep her for launch. Go and pack a few things. We may be taking a trip to Earth.”

  “Understood ma’am. I’ll finish up here and head home to grab what I need,” Cynthia replied.

  As soon as she stepped out of her office, her two security guards fell in step behind her. Suzanna nodded to each and picked up her pace. Pennington’s office was just a three minute walk through the Haven Council Chambers, though she usually liked to engage her guards in conversation, she kept her thoughts to herself as she thought of how James would respond to finding out he had been removed from command. He would not be pleased. Worse, she realized, he would feel utterly betrayed. He had given his life to the navy, and now they were about turn their back on him. Not if I can help it, Suzanna promised. When the automatic doors slid open to admit her into Pennington’s offices, Pennington’s secretary was already standing waiting for her.

  “Greetings First Councilor. Governor Pennington instructed me to show you right in,” she said as she gestured for Suzanna to head past her.

  “First Councilor,” Pennington said as she stood.

  “Governor,” Suzanna replied in an equally formal tone. Then they both broke into smiles as they hugged.

  “It’s still strange to be on the opposite end of things isn’t it?” Pennington asked.

  “It is,” Suzanna replied. “I’m not sure I miss it though. Even though I’m married to James and have British citizenship, it still felt like I was being torn in two directions. Having to serve the British Star Kingdom and Haven at the same time. I can’t imagine how you feel.”

  “Well,” Pennington replied slowly as a coy grin spread across her face. “As I’m sure you can guess, my loyalties fall very much on one side of the equation. I’m grateful for all the British Star Kingdom has done for us, but Haven is my home.”

  “I’m shocked,” Suzanna said as she brought a hand to cover her mouth. “You better not let the British King or Prime Minister hear you talking like that.”

  Pennington waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry, my office was checked for bugs a couple of hours ago. Now, what brings you here at this late hour?”

  Suzanna handed the datapad with Andréa’s letter on it to Pennington and then sat down as did Pennington.

  “You know this is more than a little suspicious right?” Pennington asked after she scanned the attached documents. “What are the chances a low-ranking logistics officer happened to know something about this tribunal? And just happened to be working on the contract with the Somerville Foundation?”

  Suzanna nodded. “Yes, it seems a little too easy. Even some of the things Andréa managed to uncover were a little too easy. It’s very convenient that the tribunal is being held with just enough time for me to get to Earth if I wanted. Yet why would anyone fake this? If there is a group on Earth that wants to get me to travel there, they could just ask. Why all this subterfuge?”

  “Maybe they want you worried,” Pennington answered. “If you rush to Earth to try and defend your husband you may be blindsided by some other offer. It could be some company playing you, wanting to get good rates for one business deal or another.”

  “It seems like a lot of work to go to for a simple business deal,” Suzanna countered.

  “Then someone on Earth is probably playing some deeper political game that we don’t know about yet. You know what politics on Earth are like.”

  Suzanna nodded again. “I do. But what else am I supposed to do? Simply ignore it? No one on Earth will stand up for James. He has no one. His uncle is dead, Fairfax is no longer Prime Minister and the King cannot risk what little political capital he has to protect James. If there is a chance this is real, I have to go and speak for him. And not just for him. The Outer Defense Fleet needs him. If he is out there fighting the Flex-aor, he can’t be relieved of command. That could jeopardize Earth and even Haven.”

  “It seems you have already made up your mind First Councilor,” Pennington replied as she sat back in her chair. “You know you don’t need my permission to leave, right?”

  Suzanna rolled her eyes. “I know. But I wanted your advice. Both on whether or not I should go for James’ sake; and if I can leave Haven at the moment or not? I know my place is here, but there are other things I could do on a visit to Earth that would be very helpful for us.”

  “Of course there are,” Pennington agreed with a nod. “But you want to know if your absence may be more of a hindrance than a benefit. We are at a crucial time in our nation’s development. Our First Councilor is needed as much at home as on Earth, maybe more…”

  Suzanna frowned as Pennington lapsed into silence. “Well?” she pushed, “I know I am needed, but what do you think?”

  Pennington couldn’t help but smile. “I’m just teasing you. Of course you should go, even if just for James’ sake. Don’t worry about us. You’re not as indispensable as you think. We’ll be just fine. There are no pressing bills coming up, and unless you’re about to land some new big development opportunity I don’t know about, there is nothing we can’t handle without you.”

  “Thank you,” Suzanna replied as a wave of relief flooded through her. She would have felt guilty all the way to Earth if she thought she was abandoning her responsibilities on Haven.

  “What else am I supposed to say to my First Councilor?” Pennington replied, her coy grin reappearing on her lips. “You have already ordered Scimitar prepped for launch.
I can’t say no to my supreme leader now, can I? Especially not after just telling her where my loyalties lie.”

  Suzanna made a fist and pretended like she was going to reach for Pennington. “You are becoming more of a tease in your old age Governor,” she said as she waved her arm.

  Pennington’s eyebrows rose in shock. “You’re taking this to a whole new level First Councilor. Never has anyone brought my age into a diplomatic negotiation before.”

  “I didn’t know this was a negotiation,” Suzanna responded as she brought her arm back to her side.

  “It is,” Pennington said, handing Suzanna’s datapad back. “For in exchange for my approval, I’m going to put together a list of people I want you to meet while you are on Earth. If you’re going to make an official state visit, you’re going to be following up with as many foreign dignitaries and titans of industry as you can. Don’t worry, I intend to put you to work.”

  Suzanna let out a loud sigh that was only half an exaggeration. “I suppose, if these rumors about James turn out to be fake, at least I will have not wasted my time.”

  “Exactly,” Pennington said as she stood and clapped her hands together. “That’s the way to look at things. Now you may as well go and get ready to depart. You are on a tight schedule after all and I have a nasty list of names to prepare for you.”

  “Just make sure you get them to me before Scimitar reaches the shift gate or we’ll jump out of the system without them,” Suzanna said as she stepped around Pennington’s desk and pulled her friend into another brief hug. “Time is of the essence; I’m not going to wait around.”

  “Don’t worry,” Pennington replied as they broke apart. “You’ll have your list.”

  *

  “Shift drive is fully charged First Councilor, Gate Command has signaled to inform us that they are ready to initiate. They have powered the gate up to its maximum. We’re just awaiting your permission,” Scimitar’s chief pilot reported.

  Suzanna looked up from her datapad. She was sitting just behind the two pilots of her diplomatic yacht. Pennington had been true to her word. She had sent a long list of individuals she wanted Suzanna to contact whilst on Earth. At the words of her pilot though, Pennington’s list was forgotten. The shift gate on the edge of the Haven system had been completed just four months ago. Suzanna had been there for its completion ceremony, but she hadn’t been back since. Its size was impressive. But that wasn’t why it grabbed her attention. It was what was about to happen next. “Inform them we wish to depart,” she said as she stared at the gate.

  Seconds later, a bright blue flash appeared around the edge of the large circular structure Scimitar had come to rest in front of. The flash rippled towards the center of the circle and coalesced into a single point. Milliseconds later it vanished and a tear was ripped into shift space. Scimitar powered up her shift engine and gently accelerated towards the gate’s event horizon. As soon as Scimitar’s nose touched the event horizon, the yacht was sucked in. Immediately it translated into shift space and was catapulted by the gate to a velocity the small yacht’s shift drive could never attain.

  “That’s it?” Suzanna asked. The light show had been impressive. But she hadn’t felt anything as Scimitar had entered the gate.

  “Yes First Councilor,” her pilot answered. “Visually, the gate is impressive. But scientifically, there’s nothing going on that Scimitar’s shift drive can’t do. It’s just a matter of scale. Without the gate, it would take us seven hours to reach the first curve in the shift passage. Now it will only take two.”

  “And of course, there is another gate there powered up and ready to send us on our way when we arrive,” Suzanna responded. “I know how it works. Still, I was expecting something more. I guess I’ll just have to be impressed by the speed. We’ll be at Earth in no time.”

  “That we will ma’am. We may even make a record. The gates will all charge up to maximum power for us given the importance of our passenger, and Scimitar’s as fast as they get when it comes to flying through the different star systems we have to traverse.”

  “Well, if we break the record, we break the record,” Suzanna replied. “But don’t push it just for me.”

  As Suzanna sat back and thought about the journey ahead of her, the significance of the shift gates really dawned on her for the first time. She knew they had been installed all the way to the Gift. And from the Gift to the Alpha system and then the Sol system. The last time she had travelled to Earth it had taken three and a half weeks. Now she would be there in less than two. Space is getting smaller and smaller all the time, she thought.

  Chapter 19

  Once an officer reaches the rank of Captain in the Imperial Navy they are never removed from the fleet unless dishonorably discharged. Even if they return to civilian life the fleet retains the right to call them back to active service at any time. There are literally thousands of Captains and hundreds of Commodores and Rear Admirals who have not stepped foot on board a warship for more than a decade. Yet they are there in the event the Navy needs them.

  -Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

  New York, Earth, 18th August 2478 AD.

  Suzanna kept a small smile on her face as she sought to appear interested in what representative Kapoor was sharing with her. Her emotions were a tempest. She had been on Earth for four days and, as yet, she had made no progress. Her frustration was threatening to burst out of her normally calm demeanor.

  Her first day had been taken up with a formal reception King Edward had held for her. He had invited many other heads of state and her entire day had been spent greeting foreign dignitaries. Thankfully, her role as co-owner of the Somerville Foundation had allowed her to cry off a second day of formalities. Under the guise of having to see to Foundation business, she had spent time with Andréa analyzing the new information she had uncovered regarding a possible military tribunal but nothing of any real substance had been found.

  With nothing else she could think of doing, Suzanna had made it known she was open to receiving invitations for meetings. She then set about organizing her own meetings as she worked her way through Pennington’s list. For the last two days she had hoped that someone would reveal themselves to be the ones behind the effort to bring her to Earth. Though she didn’t like playing to someone else’s tune, there were no other options open to her. When her current host, Jalesh Kapoor had requested an audience, she had hoped she would be the one to open up about the tribunal. Jalesh was India’s representative on the UN Interplanetary Council. If one nation was behind the effort to get rid of James, India was as likely a candidate as any. Yet it seemed all she wanted to talk about was investments.

  “So you see,” Representative Kapoor explained. “India is very open to investing in the Haven system. We have moved on from the aggressive expansionist policies of our predecessors and we wish to make right some of the wrongs we committed in the past. Obviously, as one of your immediate neighbors, we would be in an ideal position to begin expanding the presence of some of our state-owned corporations into your system, we could begin almost immediately.”

  “You are aware of our foreign investment laws, aren’t you?” Suzanna asked, trying to keep the exasperation out of her voice. She was more than happy to hear the Indians no longer saw Haven as a system to be annexed. However, it was one thing to have the Indian Representative of the UN Interplanetary Committee make such a statement, it was another to believe that it was true.

  “Yes,” Kapoor said slowly. “Those laws have served your people to a certain degree over the last number of years. However, our most recent analysis of your economic forecasts suggests they may become more of a hindrance than a help. Given the level of investment we have been discussing, it is hoped that your laws may be open to interpretation?”

  Suzanna had to stop herself from sighing. The answer to that was a definite no. However, a good diplomat didn’t completely shoot down their opponent’s initial bargaining position. “I’m not sure my people, n
or our elected councilors, see the law’s current application as strict. That said, your government and any Indian companies that wish to seek investment opportunities in the Haven system would be more than free to hire their own Haven lawyers to test that. In addition, as I’m sure you’re aware, the law forbids any foreign companies investing in the Haven system from owning more than forty-nine percent of each registered company. That doesn’t, of course,” Suzanna paused to share a knowing smile with Kapoor, “mean that one single Haven entity has to have a fifty-one percent share and thus a controlling stake. Several Haven groups or individuals could share the fifty-one percent. It may be that your companies find it easier to negotiate with several business partners rather than just one.”

  The Indian Representative was smart enough to figure out what she was saying. If an Indian company went into partnership with a Haven company while only owning forty-nine percent of the shares, they would never be able to control the company. However, if several Haven individuals owned smaller percentages, the Indians could bribe or find some other way to coerce one of the owners to back them. Then they would have a controlling share. Of course, the Haven Investment Institute’s primary goal was to identify and negate such business practices and they were very successful at what they did. Kapoor wasn’t to know that though, and Suzanna was more than happy for her to interpret her words as an under the table admission that she would allow the Investment Institute to turn a blind eye to Indian investments. She would never let that happen, but for now Suzanna was happy to let Kapoor think it a possibility.