Enemies on All Sides (Maraukian War Book 4)

by Michael Chatfield

  Austen needed a meeting between the main leaders on Masoul, and not the political ones; he wanted to get through to those who worked on the inside. Most of them were Moretti’s counterparts, those he had personally worked with as he grew into the man he was today. Austen had a lot of respect for M. Without him, as a planetary system they might not have what they did now, and that wasn’t much. Still rebuilding, still making it the best they could. It had never been enough.

  Now the prospect of joining the new system had been put to the elders there, and they’d all agreed the move was the best decision for them. That meant talking to everyone. The decision was unanimous: they would all leave. They would bring every asset, and that meant the ship needed more space. In fact, much more than even he thought was possible. So the cryopods had been adapted for not only this situation but in bringing the people of Earth to Emarl too. He’d been right to be worried, though. Now, looking over the modifications from his own teams, he read through the reports from Charles and the mergers scientists. It seemed there were modifications that would make the pods easier, their power consumption on the ship easier. That was the puzzle piece that he needed to sort out and now he would go into the production and assembly of them all without worrying. When someone he knew and trusted complained about the science, he knew something was off. Onboard his ship was the best mind on Masoul: Eleis Vant. That one man had saved his life and those on his ship more often than any other.

  Eleis knocked at his door and when he pushed to come in, Austen smiled. His second-in-command, Sanny Gard, was with him too. “Happy?” he directed at Eleis.

  “The fabbers stopped their production and are now concentrating on the materials we need to pull the towers apart and retrofit them. Shouldn’t take more than a month. With all our teams and the people of Masoul on it, we should be on schedule to leave.”

  “Word on the population, Sanny?”

  “Totaling one point eight million.”

  “We weren’t that far out in our estimate.”

  “No, Captain. But this is all safe for us, right?”

  Austen could see her concern. “Your family lives and works at one of the fabber stations, right?”

  She nodded. “Tier One, yes, sir.”

  “Then don’t worry. We’ll double-check everything with our good friend Eleis here before we move, correct?”

  Captain Austen smiled at him and he smiled back. “Everything conforms with my expectations. We’ve corroborated it all with Charles and his team. I know we’ve got this down to the tiniest of a percentage.”

  Sanny seemed to take this in her stride and sat down before her captain. “All reports across the planet are coming in. Everyone is making their move toward Landing City. As soon as the towers are ready, they’ll start to be loaded. Everyone’s been told minimum essentials only. Mostly everything’s being left. The population don’t need to bring belongings—a new home means new possibilities all over, right?”

  Austen wondered on the sheer amount of those possibilities. He knew they’d all gotten the same proposals as everyone else, but packing up like this meant they were leaving a lot behind. Homes, belongings, and so much more.

  He nodded and moved to open his holo vids, selecting the one he wanted them to see. The rebuilding of Tricticus and essentially the high king’s home. “If they’ve got riches like this, and can build cities out from the ashes of a Maraukian attack, then we’re doing the right thing.” He looked to Eleis as he watched. “Get those crews moving as fast as possible. The quicker we get out of here, the quicker we can set up and mark a section of Emarl for us.”

  Eleis nodded and quickly moved to the door. “I’ll report in as soon as I can.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Senator Rimateus’s Estate

  Roma, Hellenic System

  6/3556

  The screen before him opened up and Rimateus could see the position of his personal guard that would be leaving for Luyten. It had taken some getting together, but they would meet up with a lead from there and head on to Emarl.

  Captain Uche waited on comms for him. After their last communication, Rimateus was only waiting for confirmation that they were ready to start their journey. He’d passed on plans for their upgrades, sorted out many of their requests and had been waiting. Waiting wasn’t his best feature. But now it seemed his wait was over. This meant that finally some of his other plans were coming together. He might well succeed.

  “Everything has been upgraded to your specifications,” Uche reported. “There’s been consistent work in securing our ships and in preparing the men on board.”

  “Good,” Rimateus replied. He’d not wanted any of this to get back to Tertius, or Hesra. In fact, he’d not heard from Tertius’s son in quite some time. A promise to redeem himself no doubt set in motion. Rimateus wished he could take the fool into custody himself. It did pain him a little. Hesra had been close to him. Possibly closer than some of his own family as now distant as they were.

  Taking in the stock of the ships he’d set loose toward Luyten, Rimateus rubbed his hands together. With Dominguez dead…

  That’s when the comms were interrupted by someone else. Rimateus looked to see who it was. Hesra.

  “Captain Uche, continue with our plans. I will speak to you en route.” He cut the comms, waiting for some time before he accepted the comms from Hesra.

  “What is it you want?” Rimateus asked, anger surfacing as his fingers flexed beneath his desk.

  “Dominguez is alive,” he said, and then he was gone.

  Rimateus grabbed for the nearest thing he could throw and he did. Glass shattered and exploded all over his floor.

  It couldn’t be true. Why had he not heard of it before now?

  With anger and pure poison flooding his system, Rimateus stood and exited his office. Where he was going, he’d only one thought to. If he couldn’t get to Mark Victor through her, then he would this way. He just needed to make sure these plans were set in motion well enough. The information he’d had was hard to find; the research seemed to be sanctioned at one point and then removed from the net. Now there was no clear or successful way to create mergers, without Mark. There were too many glitches, and those glitches were another knife in his back. His best scientists were working around the clock now. If he couldn’t have the mergers any other way, then he’d get them like this. He’d create his own, with those desperate to wipe out debt or something else.

  He quickly brought up the comms and sent his operative a message: “I need your reports today. Get back to me.”

  Her reply came back quickly. “Yes, sir.”

  ***

  It hadn’t taken Atia long to get back to him; it was, however, at an inconvenient time. So he pushed her report to the back of his mind and carried on with something he needed to do.

  That brought him to sit down much later and go over her details with reverence.

  Atia was in charge of an underground operation that had started the day the mergers pulled everything off the net.

  Luckily, several people around him had thought one day it might happen, so the information they’d needed to start this operation off was secure and tucked away where the mergers couldn’t get at it. Rimateus did, however, know that one day soon, they’d get wind of what he was trying. That would be the day he finally got what he wanted: a merger army of his own. If they could join the net just like Mark, then it would not be a secret for long.

  The reports started to anger him, however, and finally, flipping his comms on, he contacted Atia directly.

  “I asked you to confirm we were on the right path, not deliver me this!”

  His words were not calm and he wanted nothing more than to start smashing heads together. If this wasn’t going to work at all, he needed to know. Not to be fed false hopes.

  Atia lowered her head. “I’m sorry, Senator, but the scientists are doing everything they can down in the labs. But...”

  Rimateus knew what was coming next. “But w
hat? They want more money, more resources?”

  She nodded. “Yes. They are saying that there’s something missing from the information, that without it there will be nothing they can do to help the men they’ve been trying to get to merge.”

  “Trying? I am not accepting trying anymore,” Rimateus hissed. “I want nothing less than done. Do you understand?”

  She looked at him, meeting his eyes with her calm gaze. “Of course, sir.”

  Rimateus closed out his comms channel and thought about the results. The experiments had started off horribly, resulting in some of the volunteers being eaten alive by the nanite vats, not able to complete any sort of change. Now at least they were surviving, but they weren’t in any fit state for anything, not even half men, in horrendous pain as their skin didn’t belong to them; they had no control, or they were just vegetables. Everything seemed to be there; there was just no brain to work with it. No matter what the vital parts to this puzzle were inside the Vanguard, and no matter how hard they were trying, it seemed his scientists weren’t smart enough. He would have to ditch them and get someone else involved if this was the case. He’d put out some requests, and find smarter people to work for him. These two brothers needed to go, and that meant everyone they were associated with, too.

  He quickly sent the new orders for Atia. She’d have no qualms in offing the scientists. At least that would put an end to their stupidity. Within seconds, new applications came through, wanting to work for him. He smiled. Now that was how it should be—fast. With a quick look at the new candidates, he grinned. New minds to this project was exactly what he needed. Now maybe he stood a chance at getting a merger of his own.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Emperor’s Residence

  Roma, Hellenic System

  6/3556

  It had been a few months now since Nerva’s gardens had left Hellenica and there were worrying projections coming in. Cassius didn’t want to be in his office so much but with things the way they were, he spent more time here lately, and sometimes stayed into early hours of the night—going over reports, meetings with other people around the systems.

  Today was going to be no different. He had two conference calls lined up first thing and he wanted to be ready for them. Then he was moving for a face-to-face meeting with Damus.

  That meant he needed to wake up first and no amount of hot stimulating local brews were helping. The sheer lack of sleep was getting to him, and his wife wasn’t much impressed either. His stress insomnia kept them both up at night, talking until he could eventually fall asleep, exhausted.

  One of the first conference calls was for Damus’s counterparts, the other two legates, Julio and Varius.

  Cassius needed to talk with them first, to gauge how they were working with their men to aid Roma. There was a huge list of small fights breaking out in the cities and surrounding areas. This wasn’t going to get easier. The reasons were simple: lack of food, nothing less. And the fallout would be felt for quite some time. The truth started to surface the day after the gardens had left. When Nerva’s message had spread, there had been nothing but uproar. Even Cassius talking to the people had made no difference. There were instant grabs for fresh produce in all areas. Without Julio and Varius to harness the legion and put a quick stop to the riots, there would have been chaos. No fresh food supply was coming into the open market. Panic, and quick, heavy price rises followed. And the projections from his NIAI and investigators around the system were getting worse.

  Cassius heard the ping from his two other legates, and within a second he was looking at both of them while they reported back to him on the status of their legions around the cities. It was taking more and more resources to keep the peace. Using more resources meant they needed more supplies. This was costing Roma a small fortune.

  Cassius went through their reports and made mental notes. They needed to organize a better plan of action, bring in more food supplies from other sources. He just wasn’t sure from where or who he trusted. This was the biggest problem. There would be no fighting in the streets while he was emperor.

  Calling in for Damus, he checked that everything was on time, and for the first time in a long time, he made his way out of his office. Damus had arrived.

  Working his way through to the shuttle area, Cassius knew the subject he would broach, and that was the main reason for this face-to-face. Cassius noted Damus’s guard and turned away from them to greet only him. “Damus, good to see you, even if the circumstances could be much better.”

  Damus greeted him with a respectful salute. Then, as Cassius drew in closer, he smiled. “I hadn’t expected this. Shall we move to your office?”

  “No, I’ve spent all morning there. Let us walk through the gardens. I’ll have some refreshments brought out to us there.”

  As they moved off, both sets of guards following kept at a good distance. Cassius knew they wouldn’t overhear anything, but were aware of the importance of such a meeting. They were trusted men and he didn’t worry.

  “You’ve spoken with Julio and Fabius?” Damus asked. On Cassius’s nod, he continued. They both knew the stakes were high. “Reports from all over Roma are coming in. They’re struggling already with certain staple products. The more they struggle, the more they’re willing to go to war over things. So far Julio and Fabius are keeping the peace, yes, but it’s getting worse.”

  “How long do you think we have?”

  Damus paused. “With Ramesh also being under attack for so long, I am thinking now the supplies sitting in the warehouses are gone. Some may still come through on shuttles but they’ve been holding back. No matter the cash offers, it may only be a month or so before it blows up considerably. The Union and Roma will not cope.”

  Cassius’s anger grew. “Held back is not good enough. I want all food stocks accounted for, all production accounted for, and all families to have access to staple goods, do you understand? There is no reason in hell I’m letting my people suffer from food shortages.”

  Damus lowered his head. “Of course. We’re doing everything we can to protect Ramesh. Fabius’s forces close by were retasked and engaged the Maraukian forces with good results. I promise you they’ll be up and running again soon enough.”

  Cassius was worried still it wasn’t going to be soon enough. They finally arrived at his garden’s secluded breakfast area. There were indeed already refreshments awaiting them.

  Cassius watched as both sets of guards checked the area and were happy to leave them unhindered.

  Cassius moved to the table and picked up a glass of fresh juice. The thought that somewhere, someone was hungry settled in deep.

  “I believe we have done everything we can, Damus. We know who some of the rot are; we know what we need to cleanse them, but we can’t do it alone.”

  Damus took a seat when Cassius pointed to it. “What are you suggesting we do? Ask the Victor Corp for leniency?”

  “No.” Cassius looked back to the palace, then he pointed down below. “I believe it’s time we woke Legate Zedra and her legion.”

  Cassius watched as the decision he’d been thinking on for some time settled into the mind of the legion’s main commander.

  Cassius met his gaze, especially when he didn’t answer his revelation straight away. “This is between us. What are you thinking?”

  Damus also looked to the palace. “That if you wake them, she’ll wipe the floor with us.”

  Cassius nodded. “Not only us—everyone around us.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  “I believe a neutral party is what we need. I don’t want Roma to starve. Legate Zedra and the power she possesses—what they stand for—was at one point what every one of the senators stood for. Now they’re corrupt in more ways than even I know. These decisions that we want to make—that Roma needs—should not come from us.”

  Damus took a piece of fruit from the table. “Yes, Emperor.”

  Cassius sat down, drink in hand. “Then let us awa
ken her, and I will face what comes head on.”

  “No,” Damus said. “We will face what comes.”

  ***

  Legate Zedra felt herself coming around. The fogginess in her mind cleared. She had no idea how long she’d slept or what was going to be asked of her now, but that was her first thought.

  As the fogginess cleared and she started to feel her body, the information also started to come in.

  Reports, vid links, personal statements, and, more importantly, the request from the emperor. “Roma needs the Shadow Legion.”

  She took in as much as she could, but it was a lot of information. Maraukians were sprouting up everywhere. Their barges seemingly used to be random, but now there were more and more of them. Breeding like assholes still, she thought.

  Then she opened her eyes. The faces before her were not much different than she remembered, a little older, and something in their eyes concerned her. They looked calm, sure, but there was something...

  The report on Nerva came through next and she saw Nerva’s speech as he left the legion. She swallowed and pushed herself upright, despite feeling wobbly. She stared straight into the eye of Felix Cassius. “What the fuck have you done?”

  Cassius took a step back, allowing her room to move, to stand. “I...” He struggled for words, and she knew why.

  “Coward! After everything your father went through, after everything he did to build Roma with Nerva and me by his side, and you’ve done this!” She threw her hands toward him and he cringed.

  She didn’t understand who the Victor Corp was, but she could already see the power they held, and they had Nerva on their side. Not only that, but there were... She stopped the information feed, looking away from the now almost quivering man before her. She spoke clearly to Damus: “Get the rest of my legion on their feet. You’ve asked for our awakening, and it seems the quicker we act, the better.”