“Yes, I see it,” Stimson said.
“All right. Load and run the subroutine.”
“Got it. Running. OK, it’s complete.”
“Now, you should have a new menu item under ‘Personal.’ Do you see it?”
“Yes. Identity Selection.”
“Go into that sub-menu and select Stan Carmell.”
“Got it. Done.”
“All right. Turn off the VR suppressor and I’ll push you a message.”
Stimson turned off the VR suppressor in his shirt pocket and nodded. Turley pushed him a message.
“OK, I got it.”
“Reply to it.”
“Done.”
Turley checked her inbound queue, and she had a message from Stan Carmell.
“OK. Good.”
Turley turned to Parnell.
“And now for you, Mr. Clemson.”
Turley and Parnell repeated the same sequence, until Turley had received a message from Chad Clemson.
“Well, with that done, gentlemen, welcome to Verano. Now let’s work on modifying your appearances a bit.”
Gulliver came back into the room carrying the small trunk in which all his disguise equipment was kept.
It was a short flight back to the spaceport for Bouchard. She brought the Shuttle down on its ready pad and shut it down. The ground crew chief came up to her as she debarked the shuttle.
“Everything go OK, Ma’am?”
“Yes, Sergeant. Thank you. I’m afraid I got it a bit dirty, though.”
The crew chief shrugged.
“Happens. Glad you had a nice flight, Ma’am.”
“Thank you, Sergeant. Until next time.”
It was about seven hours since she had left, and the car was waiting for her. The driver got out and held the door for her.
“Did you have a nice flight, Ma’am?”
“Yes, James. Thank you. Il Refugio now, if you would.”
“Of course, Ma’am. We should be there about seven. Just in time for dinner.”
Concealment And Revelation
Once Parnell and Stimson were equipped with aliases that would not report their whereabouts to the Imperial Marines databases, they met with Turley and Gulliver in VR. The simulation had managed to fit four armchairs in a semicircle before the stone fireplace.
“Cozy room,” Parnell said. “I wonder if it exists in reality someplace.”
“I don’t know,” Turley said. “That never occurred to me, actually.”
“So the Illustrious has gone off to its holding location, Your Majesty?” Gulliver asked.
“Yes, Mr. Gulliver,” Parnell said. “Admiral Stevens and General Cosworth will follow their orders.
“Despite the controversy, Sire?” Gulliver asked.
“There was no controversy as far as they were concerned, Mr. Gulliver,” Parnell answered.
Gulliver nodded.
“I must say it is good to see you, Sire,” Turley said.
“I had to give you the opportunity to return the favor, Governor Turley,” Parnell said. “It was I who rescued you on Dalnimir.”
Turley chuckled.
“I well remember it, Sire. So, to bring you up to speed, with your disappearance and apparent loss in hyperspace, Sector Governor Goulet has been allowed to take the Throne. He is proving remarkably ill-prepared for such a role, for the reasons we anticipated. The one thing that was not anticipated is that he has discussed his weaknesses openly with Amanda Peters. Sector Governors Hawking and Sounder have, in Goulet’s opinion, put us all in this mess, including him. He had no pretensions to the Throne, but is afraid that, were he to refuse it, Hawking and Sounder would move their support to some even less desirable candidate. According to Amanda, for all his weaknesses in approach and experience, Governor Goulet does in fact have the best interests of the Empire to heart.”
“Which sets us up for the endgame rather nicely, Governor Turley, if I understand your plan.”
“Amanda’s plan, Sire, but yes. She is working the plan on her end. Goulet has left her undisturbed, in the Imperial Palace, with full access to VR.”
“A tactical error on his part that he does not yet suspect, Governor Turley. She is the most powerful person in the Empire, and she is not on his side.”
Turley nodded.
“So we remain here for the time, Governor Turley. And the resupply of the Illustrious is in hand?”
“Yes, Sire. Bernd Stauss is handling that personally. The Stauss family were strong supporters of the Emperor Trajan, including the current generation, and that support has transferred to you.”
“Good.”
Parnell did not yet know about Section Six. Turley and Gulliver would have to tell him eventually, but not with Stimson there.
“I had one question,” Stimson said. “Who was the pilot of the shuttle that picked us up? I want to meet the owner of that remarkable voice.”
“It’s the least remarkable thing about her, Colonel,” Gulliver said. “Senator Marie Louise Bouchard is a force of nature.”
“Really? How is that?”
“Senator Bouchard is likely the most beautiful woman you will ever meet. While her mother is the planetary president, she herself ran for the legislature here, became a Senator at the age of twenty-two, and is in the middle of her second four-year term. She has a doctorate in history from the Imperial University of Center and speaks and reads three languages fluently. She is a competent shuttle pilot. And she is the most terrifyingly fast and dangerous tactical shooter that I, in a long and dangerous career, have ever seen.”
Stimson and Parnell looked to Turley for confirmation, and she nodded.
“Mr. Gulliver’s only error in that description is on the side of understatement, Colonel.”
“Wow.”
“Yes, Colonel,” Gulliver said. “The correct term is wow.”
“And she will be at dinner, Your Majesty, Colonel, as will her mother, Morena Prieto, the planetary president,” Turley said. “I assume you plan on continuing your charade of Your Majesty being the pilot and Colonel Stimson being the VIP?”
“Yes,” Parnell said. “It draws attention away from me, so that people do not see through what is, after all, a rather thin disguise. So I will continue to defer to the Colonel in subtle ways. It’s easy for me. After a lifetime of service, I just act like he’s my commanding officer, minus the titles.”
“Excellent, Sire. Dinner’s usually at seven, so you both have a bit over an hour to get freshened up. I’ll have someone show you to your rooms in the main house.”
They all dropped out of VR, and Turley buzzed in VR for the guesthouse butler. He came in moments later.
“Yes, Ma’am?”
“George, could you have someone show Mr. Carmell and Mr. Clemson to their rooms in the main house? They’re expected.”
“Of course, Ma’am. Gentlemen, if you would?”
The butler waved Parnell and Stimson out the door in front of him and closed it softly behind him.
“Well, so far so good,” Turley said.
Gulliver nodded.
“Now to see what Amanda can accomplish on her end,” he said.
Dinner was held until seven-thirty to give Bouchard, who arrived back at Il Refugio at seven, time to freshen up from her piloting duties. Prieto, Gulliver, Turley, Parnell, and Stimson were all in the sitting room outside the dining room when Bouchard came in. She was wearing the ‘little black dress’ and heels. The little black dress was thousands of years old, but it might have been designed with Bouchard in mind.
Gulliver did the introductions.
“Senator Bouchard, may I present Mr. Stan Carmell and Mr. Chad Clemson.”
Stan Carmell and Dan Parnell? Bouchard thought. Not much of a disguise. And if anything he’s even more handsome close up.
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Mr. Carmell. And you as well, Mr. Clemson.”
Bouchard shook hands with each in turn.
“Pleased to meet you, Sena
tor Bouchard,” Stimson said.
“Very nice to meet you, Senator Bouchard,” Parnell said.
“Shall we go in to dinner, everyone?” Prieto asked. “I’m told we’re all ready.”
The butler opened the doors into the dining room and they all went in. The table had been expanded slightly, to accommodate six. Prieto and Bouchard sat on one side of the table, with their guests Parnell and Stimson on the other side. Gulliver and Turley sat on the ends. Stimson addressed Bouchard, directly across from him, right off.
“First thing, Senator Bouchard, I want to thank you properly for picking us up. I was told you were the shuttle pilot, but I could never mistake that voice in any case.”
“You’re very welcome, Mr. Carmell. I’ve been renewing my skills the last few weeks in anticipation of today’s little excursion.”
“Well, you’re a superb pilot, Senator Bouchard. Many Marine pilots seem to think that any landing that doesn’t stress the landing-strut suspension is somehow remiss.”
“Hey!” Parnell said. “I resemble that remark.”
There were chuckles around the table, then dinner was served. The conversation didn’t properly pick up again until they were back in the sitting room with after-dinner drinks.
“Normally this is the point in the evening when I would ask you gentlemen to tell us a little about yourselves, but I suspect in this case that’s more than a little inappropriate. Let me just say instead that you are our guests for as long as circumstances require you to stay.”
“That’s very considerate of you, Madam President,” Stimson said, and Parnell nodded.
“Not a problem, Mr. Carmell. Speaking of which, I get enough of Madam President in San Jacinto. In this house, it’s Morena. So let’s do the introductions again. I’m Morena, and this is my daughter Marie. Sitting over there on the couch are our other houseguests, Ann and Paul.”
“And I’m Stan, and this is my buddy Chad,” Stimson said.
“Much better,” Prieto said. “Though I’m not sure what we’re to talk about if you can’t talk about yourselves.”
“How about the status of the annexation debate, Morena?” Turley asked.
“Oh, you would bring that up, Ann. Every time I think it’s gotten about as strident as I think it can get, they ratchet it up a notch.”
“That’s because they know they’re losing,” Bouchard said.
“I suspect you’re right, Marie. We have people protesting now wearing chains as they march down the street. Chanting ‘No Empire, No Chains.’”
“Really,” Gulliver said.
“Oh, yes. They’re mostly the rump group of Juan Baptiste Elizondo’s party. I think they know if Verano annexes to the Empire, their dreams of retaking power on Verano are dead.”
“Aren’t they dead anyway, Morena?” Turley asked.
“Oh, yes. They’re bitter dead-enders.”
Prieto shrugged.
“And now they know who the Emperor is, so that argument went away. Instead they’re making Emperor Nerva the target now. That he’s not qualified to be Emperor, and the Empire is going to break apart under him, so why would we want to annex to the Empire.”
“It sounds awful,” Turley said. “I was never much for politics.”
“Well, I’m out here for the next two weeks. On vacation. Anything I have to do, I can do from here. We’ll see if it dies down a bit.”
Stimson’s eye kept drifting to Bouchard, but Parnell followed the discussion with interest. There was lots going on in the Empire, and what happened in far-off Center even generated ripples out here.
The next morning, Turley put in a meeting request to Parnell. He accepted, and he, Turley, and Gulliver met in the cozy room in front of the stone fireplace.
“Your Majesty,” Turley said, “there is at least one thing that you were not told about, even as the Emperor Trajan’s understudy. I need to tell you about it now.”
“Please proceed, Governor Turley.”
“Thank you, Sire. The Emperor has his own private intelligence service. It is Section Six of the Imperial Police.”
“The Imperial Police doesn’t have a Section Six, Governor Turley.”
“That is correct, Sire. It does not appear on any organization chart, or on any budget, or on any department listing. The only people not in the organization who even know it exists are the Emperor, the Empress, the Co-Consul, and Dieter and Bernd Stauss.”
“And you two, apparently, Governor Turley.”
“No, Sire. Paul and I are in Section Six. He was, on Julian. We both were, on Dalnimir. And since Dalnimir – for the last ten years – Paul and I have headed Section Six.”
“I see, Governor Turley. So I have my own private intelligence service, that does not report through any other individual or organization?”
“Yes, Sire. It was the Empress Amanda’s idea, at the end of the Sintar/DP War, over fifty years ago. We do those things the Emperor needs done, find out those things the Emperor needs to know, when the Emperor can’t use any regular department.”
“And Dalnimir was a Section Six operation, Governor Turley?”
“Yes, Sire. As was Julian. As was Verano, for that matter. Morena Prieto came here as a Section Six operative.”
“And the role of the Stauss family, Governor Turley?”
“Otto Stauss was a huge supporter of the Emperor Trajan, Sire. He was in on the founding of Section Six at the suggestion of the Empress Amanda. Stauss Interstellar Holdings has provided cover identities for Section Six operatives all across the Empire and beyond. We send our requests to Bernd now, and he sends on his ‘recommendation’ that some unit hires our agent under a cover identity.”
“And since Stauss Interstellar is basically ubiquitous, Governor Turley, they can place agents anywhere.”
“Yes, Sire.”
“And now Section Six is involved in the succession, Governor Turley?”
“Yes, Sire. Our allegiance is to the legitimate Emperor.”
Gulliver had been silent through all this, but he stirred now.
“You know, Sire, listening to Ann run down those operations, it occurs that one of Section Six’s specialties is knocking over governments. We did it on Julian and Verano. And we knocked over the entire Earth Sector government in the Dalnimir operation.”
“And now you stand ready to knock over the Emperor Nerva, as well, Mr. Gulliver.”
“Yes, Sire.”
“Does Senator Bouchard know about Section Six, Governor Turley?”
“No, Sire. She knows her mother worked for some kind of outfit for the Empire, but no details. Her father worked for Section Six, as well. He died on a mission in service to the Throne, in fact. Morena Prieto completed his mission and was recruited into Section Six. That’s how she ended up being involved in the Verano operation.”
“Then she stayed on to run for president of Verano, Governor Turley?”
“Yes, Sire. She’s currently inactive as an operative.”
“Does she know you and Mr. Gulliver head Section Six, Governor Turley?”
“No, Sire. She knows something is going on. And she knows Paul was in Section Six at the time of the Julian operation, but that is all.”
“I see. How do you even run Section Six from here, Governor Turley?”
“Section Six has no headquarters, Sire. No offices. No location. There is a simulation of a headquarters, and absolutely everything is done in VR.”
“Well, that makes sense.”
“Yes, Sire.”
“So in some sense, what I will call the succession operation is a Sector Six operation, Governor Turley.”
“Yes and no, Sire. It’s actually being run out of the Imperial Palace by Amanda Peters.”
“Out of curiosity, Governor Turley. Does Section Six have agents in the Imperial Palace? The Imperial Navy? The Imperial Marines?”
Turley looked to Gulliver, who shrugged, and back to Parnell.
“Actually, Sire, we don’t even like to tell you
where we have agents and who they are, but I will if you order me to.”
“Never mind, Governor Turley. Just curiosity. But if I had an assignment for Section Six, you would maneuver assets into position somehow and carry out the assignment.’
“Yes, Sire.”
“Without anyone else ever knowing.”
“Yes, Sire.”
“And there are, of course, other operations than those you have told me about in which Section Six has played a major role, Governor Turley.”
“Yes, Sire. We don’t like to talk about those, either. But every once in a while, circumstances just break the Throne’s way. As if by accident, or coincidence.”
“I understand, Governor Turley. One more question, if you would. Does Emperor Nerva know about Section Six?”
“No, Sire.”
“Why not, Governor Turley?”
“Because we serve the legitimate Heir, Your Majesty.”
“Pretenders to the Throne need not apply.”
“No, Sire.”
The Shootist
“We have to do it soon. She’s only out there a few more days.”
“Why not do it in town, though? I don’t get that. It’d be so much easier.”
“We been all through that. We got full security plans for the rock, but not in town. They changed that one around. Like I told ya three times already, dammit.”
“All right, all right.”
“Both teams ready to go?”
“Yeah, they’re ready.”
“Well, try for it tonight. If the weather turns to shit, you can try again tomorrow night.”
They got as close as they dared in rubber rafts, then swam the rest of the way to the island. There was no approaching it from the coast side; the defenses there were too thick and well maintained. They approached instead from the ocean side, the steepest part of the island. Once ashore, they unpacked their weapons and dry clothing, and changed on the narrow rocky beach.
They then began the climb up the escarpment, using pitons that had been emplaced when the President and Senator had not been at home and there was only a skeleton staff on duty. Though they climbed in complete darkness, the lead climber carried an ultraviolet lamp so as to see the pitons, which had been painted in ultraviolet-sensitive paint.
EMPIRE: Succession Page 9
