Power Games

by David Applegate

  Patya held Kaede and said, “Don’t you get it, war means we have failed. We fled wars and poverty. The strong must protect the weak.”

  Kaede hugged Patya and said, “That is why I like you. But my friend, no matter how cunning, how brutal, how honest, or how clever we are, we all eventually fail. Accept a small war in ten to twenty years or wait for a civil war backed by our enemies.”

  It is true, Patya thought as he nodded. “Yes, Emperor,” he said. A frightened Patya asked, “How will we deal with an enemy that has no home? They are spread out over hundreds of light-years and have been planning our demise for thousands of years.”

  “I have a plan within a plan, but I need to keep the enemy guessing. I cannot tell you my goals or share with you all the details. From now on, every defence plan is classified omega. Orders will be issued from me, and only on my communication network. I will only tell each Senator what I think they need to know.”

  “What can you tell me?”

  “You protect secrets. So, you will know more than most. First, to bolster our defences, we will build a range of fighters, interceptors, each armed with lasers and a range of missiles.”

  “What will that do?”

  “Sky Force will have vast underground bases on every planet. They will remain hidden until needed, but when they are, we will shoot them into low orbit using tractor beams.”

  “To take on a fleet of starships?”

  “No, Rudolf will provide missile defence and take on small craft. Kenta will have a range of new toys too. Viktor will have the tools to take on the enemy fleet.”

  “That might work, but what happens if a city is hit?”

  “The underground will expand. A series of caverns, each able to shelter a hundred thousand people, will be built. But we cannot save everyone.”

  “I understand that.”

  “Each cavern will house a massive workforce. Many of these caverns will house factories and produce everything.”

  “What about those on the surface?”

  “Subway stations, parking areas, and other underground areas will be linked. A global civil defence network coordinated by the Ministry of Defence, with an underground army and police force.”

  Patya gasped, he stood, brushed himself off and asked, “That is a good idea, but do we have the technology to implement it?”

  “Yes, we do. While I build a fleet, you shall clean house and Argon shall do his best to delay the war.”

  “How do we delay a war?”

  “Argon keeps the leaders busy with long trade talks with various leaders, while in reality Arjuna is keeping them drunk and distracted and Viktor uses his stealth ships to follow a pirate ship to its home.”

  “If the Imperial Navy is active, wouldn’t that be an invitation to the Ogres or Nāga to attack us?”

  “My fleet will arrive via hyperspace, hit their base stations and leave.”

  “Your fleet?”

  “I will make offers to various pirates to take on the Ogres and Nāga for fun and profit.”

  Patya took a deep breath and said, “Yes, but Dain will oppose you; he wants us to bolster our defences with a couple of large space stations to make us appear invincible.”

  “Don’t worry about Dain. When it comes time to vote, I already have Yaotl, Viktor, Takis, and Árni. I will have Toshiko talk to with the others, except Argon, I leave him to you. We need Dain to challenge our ideas.”

  “What if he will not go along with your plans? Will you threaten his life?”

  “No, if you or Dain are not on board, it will be up to the others to carry a heavier load.”

  “What about the Lords?”

  “We need to reduce the number of nobles in each world to three per cent of the population. We all have given away too many titles to friends who don’t deserve it.”

  “I agree, we do need to reduce the number,” Patya said. “But…”

  Kaede interrupted. “We all have friends we need to keep, but we also have enemies. Combine those with highly unpopular Lords and pin the oil crisis on them.”

  “If we are friends, will you allow us to study your plans and come up with alternatives?”

  Happy, Kaede replied, “Yes.”

  Relieved, Patya relaxed.

  Chapter 45

  At sunrise, two spears stood beside the fire. One with three skewered frogs, and the other with only one. Wet and embarrassed, Kaede sat by the fire, wrapped in a blanket.

  “Feel better?” Patya asked, coming out of the tent.

  “Yes, thanks,” Kaede replied.

  “You need to work on your lying, you are terrible,” Patya remarked.

  “I apologise,” Kaede said.

  “I believe the truth is everything. I am not saying there are not times when lying is necessary, but don’t make it a habit.”

  “As cold and miserable as I feel, I am enjoying my time with you.”

  “Hunting teaches patience and humility.”

  Kaede looked at the fire and asked, “How can you sit in the Senate, and listen to them tell so many lies and say nothing?”

  “Most of the time, they exaggerate for political posturing. But if you pay attention, people will often reveal the truth if you hear enough of their lies,” Patya said as he sat beside Kaede. He put his hand on Kaede’s forehead and asked, “Do you feel better?”

  “My feet are numb, and I feel embarrassed for falling into a hole. I thought I felt the bottom.”

  “In snow and bogs always test the ground before you shift your weight. You never know when there is a void underneath.”

  “I found one.”

  Patya chuckled and cast magic hands. He pulled a Frog off the skewer and offered it to Kaede.

  “Why didn’t you tell me the incident left my father paralysed?” Kaede asked as he took the cooked frog.

  “Kenta doesn’t think your father will ever regain consciousness. I am sorry,” Patya said. “I got distracted. I brought you out here to give you the bad news.”

  Kaede put his arms around Patya and cried.

  In the distance, Toshiko was watching and listening from a surveillance van. She took off the headphones, handed them to an operator, and left the van. Yuki was one of a team of four on guard around the vehicle. They wore black full body armour with a black helmet, and each had one hand on a Viper-4, a lightweight, railgun version of the Viper-2.

  Yuki turned to Toshiko and asked, “Problem?”

  “You were right. It didn’t take Kaede long to find out about Hiro,” Toshiko replied.

  “I told you he would find out, eventually. He knows how to read a medical chart.”

  “I am surprised it took Izanami as long as she did to hack the network.”

  “Well, I keep her busy every day. She spends an hour every morning doing ballet with Katerina then an hour practising Yosakoi with me.”

  ✽✽✽

  Bethany stood in the middle of her luxury apartment aboard the Night Queen. Two Silver Elves dragged in a Goblin in a business suit. He had a hood over his head; his hands and feet bound. He was forced onto his knees in front of Bethany, the two Silver Elves, in black uniforms, removed the hood.

  “Why am I here?” the scared Goblin asked.

  The first Silver Elf hit the Goblin from behind and said, “Tell the Queen what you told me.”

  “The Empire charged all the Goblins from the Hub with piracy and espionage. Both are capital crimes, and the Elves began beheadings immediately. But they stopped because a gang of six talked,” the Goblin stammered.

  “Names,” Bethany said.

  “I gave my files to her,” the Goblin said as he nodded at the Silver Elves behind him.

  Bethany looked at the two Silver Elves and asked, “Anything on Andre?”

  “The Inquiry does not list him as a witness,” the first replied.

  “Nor any charges against him,” the second replied.

  Bethany grabbed the Goblin and lifted him with one hand. “Where is Andre and his scumbag f
riends?” Bethany asked face to face with the Goblin.

  “Please, I know nothing,” the Goblin pleaded as he urinated in his pants.

  “You’re his lawyer,” Bethany said.

  “He tells me nothing,” the Goblin sobbed.

  “My Queen, he is telling the truth,” the first said.

  “Has Andre been in contact with the brotherhood?” Bethany asked.

  “No. Our informants say the Brotherhood has not heard from him and Pilu still has a team of assassins after him,” the second said.

  Bethany dropped the Goblin and asked, “You have all his records?” As she asked, she pulled out her wand and ran her free hand over it. As she did, she looked down at the Goblin. She gripped both ends and flexed her wand.

  “Yes,” the first Silver Elf replied.

  Bethany flicked her wand towards the Goblin. A red slash appeared on his neck. He writhed in pain, his eyes bulged, and he had a look of horror on his face as his head fell off. Blood gushed out of his neck all over the two Silver Elves.

  Bethany pointed her wand at the head and with a flick of her wrist, the head flew at the first Silver Elf who caught it, “Remove his tongue and feed it to my demon cat on your way out. I want you to leave his head on his desk.”

  “Yes, my Queen,” she said, bowing their heads.

  “You,” Bethany said as she pointed her wand at the first Silver Elf, who jumped back in fright, grabbing her neck, “Get me plans to the Palace.”

  “You,” Bethany said as she pointed her wand at the second Silver Elf, who took a step back, “Get as many agents into the reconstruction of the Palace as you can.”

  “Yes, my Queen,” they said as they bowed their heads.

  Bethany stomped her foot and yelled “Now.”

  The second one bent over to grab the Goblin, Bethany said, “Leave it. My demonic cat will come and eat it soon.”

  As they raced out, Bethany walked over to the pool of blood. She dipped her wand into it. As Bethany stirred her wand, it sucked the blood into it. She pointed the wand at her hand, and it deposited three large solid blood-red teardrop-shaped stones onto it. “I thank you for your blood. Don’t worry; unlike you, I will put it to good use.”

  ✽✽✽

  Kaede returns soon. With so little time and so much to do, Kaede must grow up fast and prepare for the day he turns eighteen.

  Appendix 1 - The Imperial Senate

  The Empire is ruled by the Imperial Senate. Its members are the male heads of the thirteen richest, thus most powerful houses. The Empire is a plutocracy, the free market decides the wealth of its leaders, those who lose their wealth, lose their power, and thus their title (s).

  The Senate officially meets in the throne room of the Imperial Palace.

  Each senator controls an Imperial Ministry and a branch of the military.

  The Minister of Treasury, Internal Trade and Transport is Emperor Kaede Hashimoto of East Hyperborea. He is the head of the Imperial Knights.

  The Minister of Business, Finance and Economics is Czar Patya Petrov of Central Hyperborea, and he is head of the Inquisition.

  The Minister of External Affairs and External Trade is Kaiser Argon Agrovar of West Hyperborea, and he is head of the Imperial Guard.

  The Minister of Defence is General Kenta Yoshida of Nippon Island, and he is head of the Imperial Army.

  The Minister of Justice is Sky Marshal Rudolf Reinhart of Central Germanica, and he is head of Sky Force.

  The Minister of Population, Society and Culture is Maharajah Arjuna Desai of South Hyperborea, and he is head of the Imperial Intelligence Agency.

  The Minister of Health and Welfare is Pharaoh Takis Alexandris of The Kingdom of Sahara, and he is head of the Medical Bureau.

  The Ministry of Magic is Prince Georgi Vlasov of the Rus Far East, and he is head of The Magic Enforcement Agency.

  The Minister of Education, Employment and Training is Chief Árni Tikkanen of North Amazonia, and he is head of the Imperial Data Security Agency.

  The Minister of Immigration is General Adalwulf Feygold of South Germanica, and he is head of the Imperial Police Force.

  The Minister of Energy and communications is Admiral Viktor Niemi OF Zealand, and he is head of the Imperial Navy.

  The Minister of the Environment is Chief Yaotl Belaúnde of South Amazonia, and he is head of Technical Support.

  The Minister of Agriculture is Prince Dain Hartmann of North Germanica and head is head of The Robotics and AI Agency.

  Appendix 2 - The Seven Kingdoms

  The Empire has seven major ethnic states.

  East Hyperborea is ruled by Emperor Kaede. It is the Flower Elf Kingdom. On Alcyone Three, this is all of Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands.

  West Hyperborea is ruled by Kaiser Argon Agrovar. It is the Mountain Elf Kingdom. On Alcyone Three, this is all of Europe to the Ukraine border.

  Central Hyperborea is ruled by Czar Petrov. It is the Field Elf Kingdom. On Alcyone Three, this is Ukraine, Russia, Siberia, the Middle East and the north polar island.

  South Hyperborea is ruled by Maharajah Arjuna Desai. It is the Night Elf Kingdom. On Alcyone Three, this is India and all the islands of the Indian Ocean, except Madagascar.

  The Kingdom of Sahara is ruled by Pharaoh Takis Alexandris. It is the Silver Elf Kingdom. On Alcyone Three, this is Africa and the island of Madagascar.

  North Amazonia is ruled by Chief Árni Tikkanen. It is the Aquatic Elf Kingdom. On Alcyone Three, this is North America.

  South Amazonia is ruled by Chief Yaotl. It is the Forest Elf Kingdom. On Alcyone Three, this is South America.

  In addition to the seven ethnic states, various small states and principalities exist within the Empire. However, the Imperial Law and Taxation Code are universal in all states.

  Each planet has a governor who is called a Planet Lord; He is tasked with compiling reports on local activities for the Senate. Each ministry has a Local Lord who reports to the Planet Lord.

  Each planet has seven states, each ruled by a State Lord, beneath him are City and Regional Lords who run cities, regional areas. They can only set laws, fees, and charges that do not covered by Imperial Law or the Imperial Taxation Code.

  Most city and regional Lords are appointed by the Lord of their planet, but each ruler has the final say.

  Minor Lords are in title only and at most only run a vast estate, or they serve as either a knight, a military officer, or as are a judge.