“You know that is already on the way to the hyperwave relay at the edge of the system,” said Decker, her voice strained.
“Of course it is,” said the Prime Minister, looking around the table. “And what are we going to do about it? Even if we send a signal to the relay stations it will arrive too late to do anything. That signal will be sent out by relay as soon as it arrives. We’d just be chasing it with a useless command all the way to the core worlds and main sector systems.”
I’m not certain the relay stations would accept a command from us,” said Decker with a head shake. “After all, they are under Emporal administration. And there’s likely to be naval personnel there as well.”
“Call up the news networks,” said the Prime Minister, looking over at Huang. “We need to do some damage control here.”
And we need to do something about this Admiral and his General friend, thought the Duke, drumming his fingers on the table. We can’t let the military stand in the way of the lawful civil government, even if we have to do something unlawful to stop them.
* * *
“I understand, my Lord,” said the tall man, sitting in his shielded command center in a nondescript building. He knew where he was. That was not true for anyone else in the organization, and especially for the people that were their contacts in Imperial Government. “I will see what I can do.”
“Well, you better do something,’ said the Duke who was the interim Prime Minister of the New Terran Empire. “If you want us to have a puppet in place that the people will accept, these men need to be eliminated.”
“I’m not sure you should be saying that over this line,” said the tall man, grimacing.
“I thought it was secure,” said the Prime Minister, his tone changing to one of fear.
“It is as secure as we can make it,” agreed the tall man, thinking of all the multiple encryption routines that had gone into the communications net. “But nothing is one hundred percent secure. That is why we still use face to face meetings.”
“Well, is there anything you can do?”
“I will see, minister,” said the man. “I will see.”
He terminated the connection and sat in his chair for a moment, contemplating the possibilities. We could probably get to the General, even through his security. The Admiral will be the more difficult target. Maybe the entire ship will have to go, though I hate to make a move so bold. And what about the Commandant of the Marines. Surely she is also in this. Maybe I need some direction.
The man sat and thought for some time, coming to the conclusion that he needed to kick this up to his employers, who had come through so marvelously whenever he needed the hardware or the muscle. He keyed in his link and set up a meeting. And wouldn’t you be surprised at who you are actually aiding, Prime Minister, he thought, a smirk on his face. And how horrified when you discover what they are actually after.
Chapter 8
Humanity never seems to be satisfied by whatever system they are under. Oh, they will live under it, and prosper, and sing its praises. And then they will wish that things were different. The fact is that the rulers are the only one ever really satisfied with any political system. And even they have doubts. Empress Catherine the Great, in an address to the media.
“So what can I do for you today, Lieutenant,” said Captain Sebastian Ngano of the Sergiov, steepling his fingers and looking over them into the eyes of his subordinate officer.
I will not be intimidated, thought Sean Ogden Lee Romanov, standing at stiff attention and looking over the top of his commanding officer’s head. Even telling himself that he did feel some intimidation standing here in the Captain’s office. Not the one attached to his day cabin by the bridge, but his main office, attached to his quarters deep in officer country. The walls were covered with pictures of the Captain with many people, some Sean recognized as members of the Commons. That and a number of awards the officer had garnered during his service, and several models of warships on the credenza behind the wide desk.
“Sir,” said Sean, barking it out like he was on an academy parade ground. “The Lieutenant requests an immediate return to duty.”
“You attended Peal Island, did you not, Lieutenant Romanov?” said the Captain, his broad dark face looking up at Sean’s. “Of course you did, since that’s the one on the Capital world. Well, so did I. And though I appreciate the ramrod they put in your back, you can relax and act like a human being here. We are no longer on the island.”
“Yes sir,” said Sean, coming to a military rest position and looking the Captain in the face. “The Lieutenant wishes to be returned to duty. Immediately.”
“And you don’t have to use that third person thing they teach at the academy,” said the Captain. “They don’t like that much in the real fleet.” The Captain paused for a moment and looked the Prince in the eye. “Or is that an imperial third person?”
“The Lieutenant,” started Sean, then shook his head and corrected himself. “I mean, I don’t want to be treated any different than any other officer, sir. I…”
“Bullshit,” said the Captain in a growl, slamming his palm on the desk with a crack. “Your being here to demand that you be returned to duty proves the lie in that statement.”
“The lie…”
“You let me finish, Lieutenant,” said the Captain, glaring into the Prince’s eyes. “Then you can have your say. Oh, I know that you try to be egalitarian, act like one of the boys and girls. And I have to compliment you on that attitude. But the fact of the matter is that you are not just one of the boys and girls. You’re one of the rich kids up the block. Even those with noble upbringing cannot compare themselves to you. And you really think we are going to treat you like one of the boys and girls? Well, do you?”
“Sir, I wish to be treated like…”
“Not wish to, Lt. Romanov,” said the Captain, lowering his voice. “Did you really expect to be treated just like one of the boys and girls? Considering who your father is, is that a realistic expectation? Well. Is it?”
Sean stood for a moment without talking, thinking about what the Captain has said. “No sir,” he finally replied, feeling his face heat up. “I really don’t expect that, now that you explain it that way.”
“Good,” said the Captain, nodding his head. “Now we’re getting someplace. And you realize that right now you are a high profile target for some every dangerous people?”
“Do we know who they are?” said Sean after giving the Captain a head nod.
“No, and that makes them even more dangerous,” said the Captain. “And your safety is my concern. Of course the safety of all my officers and crew is my concern. But right now you are more of a target than all of the rest put together. So that is why the caution. But I will tell you that we have completed advanced background checks on everyone on this ship. Any who were suspicious in their origins have been transferred.”
“Were there many of them?” asked Sean, a shiver running up his spine at the thought that a shipmate might try to kill him.
“Only a couple,” said the Captain with a smile. “So you may return to duty, with my blessings. What you cannot do is leave the ship. At least not at this time.”
“I understand,” said Sean, his body relaxing now that he had gotten what he wanted. “I just wanted to get back to duty. This being under protective watch was a bitch, sir.”
“And it’s something you may have to get used to again,” said the Captain, looking behind him and picking up a model from the credenza. It was the model of a frigate, not the latest design, but neither anything from antiquity. “This was my first command. The Organia. She was small and slow, with little in the way of firepower. About a hundred and fifty crew, including the squad of Marines. But she was all mine. I didn’t have to share her with anyone. Do you know why I’m showing you this, Lieutenant?”
“Because you want to make a point,” said Sean, nodding his head. “You still long for that first command. Even more than you did the co
mmand of that heavy cruiser behind you.”
“Very good, Lieutenant,” said the Captain. “Relish the role you play now. The lack of responsibility as you gain experience. Because someday you might regret that these times didn’t last, when you have had ultimate responsibility thrust on your shoulders. Dismissed.”
The last words of the Captain had a foreboding feel to them, and Sean couldn’t help but think back on them on the way to his quarters to prepare for duty. But I will never have ultimate responsibility, he thought. The older brothers have that covered. So why did that statement bother me so much. Sean tried to put it out of his mind as he got into a duty coverall. But no matter what he did, it kept coming back to haunt him.
* * *
“Only twenty-six hours to translation,” said Captain Dame Mei Lei as she looked over the tactical screen. The convoy was still in good formation, just like she had set up at the start of the voyage.
“Captain Dupfers on the com for you ma’am,” called out the com tech, nervousness in her voice.
And well you should be nervous, child, thought the Captain as she grimaced. The fool of a contract ship’s Captain had set her off several times on the voyage, with his daily complaints of one thing or another. The destroyers aren’t close enough to cover my ship properly. The destroyers are too close and are making my helm nervous. The troop transport ahead is too close and its grabber ripples are disrupting the smoothness of my passage. The troop transport is too far ahead and I’m having to fight his hyper grav waves instead of coasting on them.
The problem with hyperspace, she thought, is that damned fools can still send com lasers your way if you’re on the same level and close enough. She thought of maybe translating up to VII, or moving far enough away in V to get out of the idiot’s range. But that would get everyone wondering if she had lost her mind. Which might be the correct call.
“Put him through,” she finally said with a sigh. “Might as well get it over with.”
“Commodore Lei,” said the frowning face as soon as it was on the screen, making the temporary rank sound like a slur. “I must protest your decision to put my Haikado Maru behind that tub of Captain Merlson’s.”
“And what is Captain Merlson’s ship doing to your precious freighter now, Captain Dupfers?” asked Mei Lei in her sweetest syrupy voice.
“Don’t you be condescending with me, commodore,” hissed the freighter’s Captain. “I will protest your treatment of me and my ship to the highest levels of the admiralty.”
“Protest away, Captain,” said the Captain of the Joan de Arc, staring at the man. “Your protest will no doubt arrive on their desks at about the same time as my protest of your disruption of the smooth operation of this convoy.”
“But your protest will not much affect my career,” said the contract Captain with a cold smile crossing his face. “My line has a long term contract with the Empire. And I have a long term contract with my line. How is your contract, commodore? So. Are you going to listen to my complaint, or will the admiralty?”
“Go ahead, Captain Dupfers,” said Mei Lei with a sigh. “What can I do for you today?”
“It’s that damned Captain Merlson,” said the freighter skipper. “Those grabbers of his are out of tune and are stirring up the fabric of space around us.”
“We’re almost at our destination, Captain,” said Mei Lei with a scowl. “Surely you can put up with some minor turbulence for another day.”
“I demand that you move us ahead of him,” screamed Dupfers, his face turning red. “I demand…”
“Demand all you want, you pompous fool,” said the acting commodore, fighting hard to keep her temper under control and leaning forward in her seat. “We are in hyper,” she continued, in a voice like she was talking to a child, “in close formation, so I don’t have anyone wandering off. There are turbulences in space when ships using ether grabbing drives are near to each other. These are the kind of turbulences that experienced spacers grow used to.”
“Will you move me up in the formation, or will I have to do it myself,” he yelled over her.
“If you attempt to move your ship from formation without my express orders I will have your vessel boarded and you arrested,” said Mei Lei in a coldly calm voice, feeling exquisite fine control holding her emotions in check. “Do not think for one minute that I will not. Now I am finished with this conversation. Captain out.”
The screen went blank on the image of the man opening his mouth to try and get in a word. The Captain put a hand on her head as she felt the beginning of a headache.
“Still dealing with that bastard,” said Xavier Jackson over the private com link. She checked the time on the ship’s net and saw that he was to relieve her in another hour.
“You could still be in bed,” she replied, “instead of tapping into bridge communications.”
“I’m already up and getting the blood flowing,” said the man, projecting a laugh over the circuit. “I figured I better be ready to deal with the bastard when I come on duty. You know he screams his head off for you to come at his beck and call.”
“And you do a very good job of denying his requests,” she said with another smile. “I’m surprised he hasn’t threatened to bring you before the Emperor for ignoring him.”
“He has,” he said through the link. “But I do believe his Majesty has more important things to worry about than a mere commoner naval commander. And I’m surprised you haven’t ordered a surgical laser strike on his bridge before now.”
“I would like to order him on point and bring back Rittersdorf,” she said. “But then I might have to explain to the admiralty how I let several billion Imperials of weapons and equipment get lost along with a piece of shit freighter I was supposed to be watching.”
“Almost be worth it,” said the exec, projecting a smile.
“At least we will be free of him after we reach Massadara,” said Mei Lei, feeling the tension headache leaving her as she concentrated on relaxing her scalp muscles.
“Unless they saddle us with him for the return trip,” said Jackson, projecting a frown.
“They wouldn’t do that,” said the Captain, feeling the headache coming back from where it had been retreating. “We’re too valuable a scouting asset to be riding herd on a collection of rust buckets. Aren’t we?”
“I would have thought so before they saddled us with them,” said Jackson. “But you never know with the admiralty. Anyway, I just wanted to see what your take was. I’ll be up to relieve you shortly. Jackson out.”
Mei Lei thought about what her first officer had said for a moment. Surely they wouldn’t waste a state-of-the-art resource like Joan de Arc to permanent convoy duty. They had a lot of space to cover out here. And something going on that they didn’t quite understand, but looked like it might develop into trouble. If they couldn’t see that her battle cruiser was much more valuable scouting…
“Ma’am,” called out the helm, looking over his shoulder.
“Yes,” she said, looking up, her eyes widening as she saw the tactical display. “That damned idiot.”
“Yes ma’am,” said the helm. “He’s putting on some gee to move ahead of Merlson’s ship.”
The convoy was actually decelerating at about a hundred gravities, working their way down to point one c so they could translate back into normal space at their destination. Dupfers had cut back on his decel, letting his ship fall up on the freighter to his front, as he put in enough side vector to move around the offending leader.
“Get Gazelle on the com,” ordered Lei, looking over at the com tech. “Tell her to match velocities with that maniac and board him. I want him thrown in their brig and kept there until I tell them to release him. They are to put an officer aboard to con the ship to destination.”
The com tech nodded and turned back to her station, getting to work.
Maybe we can have a nice little naval engagement once we get rid of this cluster, she thought. Even thinking of bringing the ship
into battle brought a smile to her face. At least there she could open fire on the offending miscreants.
* * *
The trivee projected the face of the Admiral into a holo field at the front of the room, the GNN logo in a wrap around at the bottom. The beautiful Asian woman was standing next to him, and the picture kept switching back between the officer and the reporter.
“No,” said Grand High Admiral Gabriel Len Lenkowski, the location noted as a chamber aboard the superbattleship Vakyrie. “I don’t believe that the IIB has done much of a job on this investigation. They determined that an innocent woman, Dr. Lucille Yu, a scientist that is a necessary component in the Donut Wormhole Project, was guilty, without any proof whatsoever. They incarcerated this woman on Purgatory and closed the case.”
“So you believe that someone else was responsible for the death of the Emperor?” said the young woman, whose name, Joan Wang, showed below her picture. “Even though the killer was identified as one Ensign Mark O’Brien, of the Emporal Protection Force?”
“That young man was just the pawn used in this assassination,” said the Admiral, an angry scowl on his face. “Hell, he had no motive to kill the Emperor. We believe he was deep conditioned by someone to override his inhibitions of harming the Imperial family.”
“But he was deep conditioned to protect the Imperial family as well, was he not?”
“Damn right he was,” said the Admiral, nodding his head. “Like all members of the Emperor’s Guard. But someone has found a way around that conditioning.”
“And how is that possible?” asked the reporter, her face serious. “I thought there was no way to get through that kind of conditioning.”
“That’s what they say,” said Lenkowski, the scowl growing deeper. “That’s what they say. But I believe someone has found a way around that.”
“And who would that be?”
“When I find out you will know,” said Lenkowski, looking straight into the camera. “When I find out everyone will know.”
Exodus: Empires at War: Book 2 Page 14
