Mutineer (Empire Rising Book 7)

by D. J. Holmes

  “I’m pleased to hear that First Councilor, very pleased,” Kapoor responded. She sat back in her chair and lifted a wineglass to her lips. She took a long slow sip as she held Suzanna’s gaze. “With that part of our discussion concluded, perhaps we should turn to the real reason why I invited you to meet with me.”

  Suzanna had to fight to control her facial expressions. Kapoor sat on the UN Interplanetary Committee’s Naval Oversight Subcommittee. It was the main reason why she had accepted the invitation to drinks. Of all the people she had met so far, Kapoor was the most likely to be in the know. Suzanna steeled herself, if she was behind the rumors of a tribunal, the conversation wasn’t going to be pleasant.

  “I confess,” Kapoor continued. “That this is a delicate situation. Whilst relations between our two nations are improving, to put it mildly, you and your husband’s personal relationship with India has been checkered. There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just come right to it. Your husband’s actions in taking the Outer Defense Fleet away from X-32 and into unexplored space have not gone down well with the UN Admirals on the Naval Oversight Subcommittee. Vice Admiral Somerville has left the American colonies wide open to a flanking attack from the Flex-aor. We are currently scrambling forces to X-32 to cover such an eventuality. But many believe it was negligence of the highest order for your husband to leave his post.”

  Suzanna bit her tongue. It was the only way to force herself not to lash out in defense of James. An accusation of negligence was only one step short of misconduct. And a very small step at that. Given the strength of Kapoor’s words, she was certain a military tribunal was in the works. That will be the time to defend him, she reminded herself. Now she had to keep her cool and find out as much as she could. “Those are strong accusations,” she replied calmly. “Ones I’m sure my husband would be all too pleased to counter when he returns from his mission. I’m not sure what this has to do with me. I’m not a naval officer and Haven does not have a representative on the Naval Oversight Subcommittee.”

  “That’s true,” Kapoor agreed with a nod. “You have no official ties to the UN Navy; however, your word is respected and goes a long way. Let me be frank. The Admirals are planning to hold a military tribunal. It is their intention to relieve Vice Admiral Somerville of command of the Outer Defense Fleet and charge him with negligence. He will be ordered to return to Earth to face a full court martial.”

  “What do I have to do with this?” Suzanna asked, amazed at her own level tone.

  “I have been given permission to make a deal with you First Councilor,” Kapoor replied. “The Admiral’s wish is to see your husband relieved of command and out of the UN Navy. A full-blown court martial will achieve that, but it would needlessly damage the Navy’s morale. I have talked the Admirals into agreeing to find your husband innocent of all charges in a full court martial. Provided, you publicly affirm the finding of the military tribunal that will relieve him of command and agree that your husband will step down from the military after the court martial finds him innocent.

  “You want me to agree that my husband should be relieved of command?” Suzanna spat, no longer able to control herself. “Are you insane?”

  Kapoor paused to take another sip of her drink. Then she smiled at Suzanna. “Far from it. I think you are the leader of a star system. You understand politics. I’m offering you a deal. The military tribunal will relieve James of command. There is nothing you can do to stop that. Though it is not our desire, there is no doubt that relieving him will send a shockwave through Earth’s populace and the fleet. Your support would go a long way in negating that. However, we are willing to proceed with or without your support. I’m offering you a way to allow your husband to save face.”

  Suzanna stopped herself from saying what she was thinking. She knew the Indians and Kapoor couldn’t care less about her husband saving face. Instead she shook her head. “There’s no way I’m going to agree to this. James is one of the best commanders we have. You cannot remove him from command. You will be putting us all in danger. For all you know, he will return with news that the Flex-aor have been defeated. Why are you taking such a political risk? You could end up looking a fool for removing him from command.”

  “Winning a great victory over the Flex-aor won’t undo the negligent acts Somerville has already committed. He will face the consequences of his actions. If we must take a political hit in the future, then that is a price we are willing to pay. We cannot have our military commanders launching unsanctioned campaigns against other species. Somerville will be brought to justice.”

  “Now I understand my role in this,” Suzanna said. “If I back this military tribunal, and James does return victorious, the focus will be on me, not you and your supporters. I’ll be the wife who betrayed her husband. I’m your safety net. Well, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed.”

  “You’re perceptive, I’ll give you that,” Kapoor responded. “I’ll give you time to think over this offer. Even if Admiral Somerville returns victorious, he will be court martialed. He has made too many enemies. The Admirals on the Subcommittee from Argentina, Brazil and Canada all recognize the danger of keeping James in command. I admit, he has served his country well in the past. But now, and in the future, we need Admirals who serve all of Humanity. Your husband is not such a man. Think on my offer, this is the only way he can retire with a measure of dignity.”

  “You’re wasting your time on me,” Suzanna responded as she raised her voice. “You do not know me at all if you think I would take such an offer.”

  Kapoor’s shoulders slumped. “Very well,” she said slowly. She held Suzanna’s gaze as she continued. “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this. But if you won’t even consider the offer, then let me make it very clear to you just what is at stake. Haven is at a tipping point. With more investment and outside support, your industries and economy could see significant growth. We’ve already discussed such opportunities. However, with a push in the opposite direction, everything could come tumbling down. What do you think would happen if foreign investment in your system dried up? Or if some of your more lucrative naval contracts were moved elsewhere? Haven is currently an important partner in the UN military alliance. However, if you appear to be hindering our common goals, that could change.”

  Suzanna didn’t trust herself to speak. She knew India hated her nation and blamed them for their defeat in the British Indian war. She knew their elites hated her and her husband. But she hadn’t expected this. They were holding her entire star system to ransom. They were forcing her to choose between her responsibility to her people and her husband. Slowly, so as not to appear angry, she stood. “I think we have nothing else to discuss.” She turned to leave. She didn’t even want to look at Kapoor anymore.

  “First Councilor,” Kapoor called after her. “You have two days to decide,” she added when Suzanna half turned. “Choose wisely, for your people’s sake, and your husband’s.”

  Suzanna lost it. A series of expletives left her lips before she even realized what she was saying. When Kapoor’s cheeks reddened and her eyes widened, she knew she had hit her mark. Spinning, she stormed out of the restaurant.

  *

  An hour later Suzanna’s heart was still racing. She was angry. No, she was mad. Who was Kapoor to think she had any right to threaten her people’s future just to score political points? How dare she treat Haven like nothing more than a pawn on her chess board! She didn’t care if they financially ruined tens of thousands of households. Why did Suzanna’s support for a military tribunal decision really matter? Who would really care in six months or a year if she supported it or not? And yet Kapoor was threatening the livelihood of thousands of families just to get her way.

  “We need to try and think through this rationally,” Andréa suggested.

  Suzanna snorted. She knew what Andréa meant. She needed to calm down. That wasn’t going to happen. But she did need to decide what she was going to do next. “Okay, tell
me, what am I supposed to say the next time one of their people ask me for my answer?”

  “Well, that’s what I’m saying we should discuss,” Andréa answered. “So far, you’ve ranted and raved about how malicious these people are and how much you hate Representative Kapoor. Whilst I agree with you, it’s not getting us to what we should do next.”

  “Fine,” Suzanna said with a sigh. “Let’s discuss it. But I’m not calming down. I am at an appropriate level of anger given the circumstances. “

  “Okay,” Andréa replied with a nod. “That will have to do. She glanced at the other two people Suzanna had gathered in Andréa’s office to update them on what had happened. “What does anyone else think?” she asked.

  Cynthia was the first to answer. Officially, she was Suzanna’s secretary. Unofficially she was her closest confidant. She was as politically wily as Suzanna, though she had never liked the spotlight. They had known each other since studying together at Maximilian University in Liberty. When Suzanna had asked Cynthia to come onto her staff, she hadn’t been able to refuse.

  “We need to know more before we can really decide what to do,” Cynthia answered. “Like who is behind this? We need to see if we can get any dirt on them. Then we can try and turn the tables on whoever is orchestrating this.”

  “According to my sources, the tribunal is scheduled for three days from now. It doesn’t give us much time,” Andréa responded. “It looks like the Admirals convening the tribunal will be Payet, Patel, Santos and Tremblay. They are all part of the insular faction. They and their countries have been pushing to bring all exploration efforts under UN control. They are also the faction behind limiting the UN fleet’s expansion. It’s not hard to guess why they are so upset at James taking the Outer Defense Fleet to engage the Flex-aor.”

  “You don’t have any bargaining chips we can use with this faction?” Cynthia asked.

  Andréa shook her head. “Nothing that will get us out of this mess.”

  “What do you think Davenport?” Suzanna asked, bringing her Chief of Security into the conversation. When she had been Governor of Haven, her security detail had been provided by the British diplomatic service. Upon becoming First Councilor, she had been given her own security personnel from Haven. Suzanna had seen how useful James found his inner circle of friends and advisers and she had been slowly drawing Davenport into her confidence.

  “To me, it’s simple. Are you prepared to publicly say that James has been negligent in carrying out his duty? The Indians may or may not invest in our industries. Equally, this faction may or may not use its influence to withhold military contracts. You could give them all that they want and they could still turn around and bite you out of spite. Or worse, once you have said yes to them once, they’ll know you are their servant. They’ll just keep on using you.

  “On the other hand, it could be a bluff. Their contracts with us may be too valuable for them to give up. We cannot really know what they will do. To me, it therefore comes down to one question; are you willing to publicly denounce James? And I think I have come to know you well enough to guess your answer.”

  Despite her anger, Suzanna smiled. “Thank you, my friend. You are seeing things more clearly than I. You’re right, the answer is obvious. I will not betray James.”

  “So then the real question is, how can we limit the damage Kapoor has threatened you with? Unless there is a way to stop this military tribunal in its tracks? That would be even better,” Davenport replied.

  “It may not be so simple,” Andréa suggested. “I don’t think we should dismiss giving in to Kapoor’s demand so quickly.”

  Suzanna shot forward in her seat. She was about to jump to her feet and start shouting. Andréa clearly sensed this, for she held out her arms in a conciliatory gesture and spoke quickly. “All I’m saying is, we need to think about what James would want.”

  Suzanna had her mouth open to argue but she cut herself off. Andréa maybe had a point. “Explain,” she demanded.

  “Put yourself in his shoes. If he is going to be relieved of command anyway. And if he’s going to face a court martial, one that will be so stacked against him that he can’t escape its ruling. Would he want you to risk Haven’s future just to save him some embarrassment?”

  For the first time since Kapoor’s threats, Suzanna felt her anger drain away. She had been so angry for James, that she hadn’t thought about what he would think. What would he want her to do?

  “I don’t know him too well,” Davenport said. “But I can’t imagine he would want you to bring dishonor on Haven by allowing yourself to be blackmailed. You are our First Councilor.”

  Suzanna smiled at Davenport again. “In one sense you’re right, the public Admiral Somerville would never approve of such a thing. For that matter, neither would the young Captain I met all those years ago. But James has been through quite a few things since then. He knows how the world works. If we can’t stop this military tribunal, nor an eventual court martial, I think he would see the merit in protecting Haven at his expense. He would understand as well. He knows the price duty often calls those who serve to pay.”

  “He knows it better than all of us,” Andréa agreed. “And yet I didn’t suggest we consider what James would want as a tactic to try and convince you to take the deal. I hate it as much as you. I just think we need to consider all our options.”

  For the first time since speaking to Kapoor, Suzanna felt torn. Before, her love for James and Haven had combined to fuel her rage. Now they were splitting her apart. Rationally she understood the sense in taking Kapoor’s deal if nothing could be done for her husband. Why cause Haven difficulties for no real gain? Yet her heart refused to even consider making some kind of official statement that condemned his actions. She would never betray him. But her people were her first love and her duty. How could she put their future in jeopardy? Slumping into her chair she looked at each of her friends. “What am I supposed to do?”

  When no one offered an answer, Suzanna closed her eyes and replayed the arguments in her mind. If she gave in to Kapoor, the insular faction would know they could get to her any time they wanted. She would be abandoning her husband. Even if James said he understood, would he really? Would a part of him not hold it against her forever? The Navy was James’ first love. If he was drummed out of it and it was even a tiny part due to her, wouldn’t he resent her? And yet how could she not put Haven first? She could do everything she could to protect James and he would still lose the Outer Defense Fleet and his naval career. Could she risk the future of tens of thousands of her own people for that? She had been elected to lead them, to fight for them and protect them. Even if it cost her, her marriage, wasn’t that what she had signed up to do?

  Opening her eyes, she looked at her friends. She wished James was here to help her, to comfort her and advise her. Yet he was hundreds of light years away, possibly even dead. Suzanna pushed that thought down into her subconscious, she had enough on her plate without contemplating such a possibility. “What am I supposed to do?” she asked again with even more desperation.

  Chapter 20

  Earth still retains many of the ancient names for its city districts, New York, London, New Delhi, yet they have all essentially merged into one mega city. Of course there are still protected wildlife reserves and ranges, but everything else has been taken over by Humanity.

  -Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

  Though she was walking down one of New York’s busier streets, the sights and sounds were lost to Suzanna. She was focused on her own thoughts. There was one thing on her mind. She had to decide what she was going to do. She had been invited to a meeting being held by many of the leaders of Humanity’s nations. The agenda looked dull and boring, but she hadn’t been in a position to refuse to go.

  She was so distracted by her thoughts that she completely missed the man in a non-descript suit wave her over. She almost walked right by him but for Davenport coming to a halt. She had been walking behind h
im, mindlessly following. Even so, she nearly walked straight into his back.

  “Ma’am, I think this person wants a word with you,” he said when she finally looked up to see what was going on.

  Suzanna blinked a few times to clear her thoughts. Then she took in the man. He was leaning against the wall of the row of buildings that lined the pavement as if he belonged there. She didn’t recognize him. Dressed as he was, he looked just like one of the hundreds of men who had already walked past her. She guessed that was probably the point. “Yes?” she asked taking half a step towards him.

  “First Councilor,” the man said. “We have a mutual friend in common. He asked me to wait here and give you this.”