Empire Ascendant

by Dietmar Wehr

  Terranova also took a moment before answering. “When you put it that way, then I’d have to agree that it would have been normal for my opposite number to act more aggressively.” He paused, and Brandenburg waited. She knew he wasn’t finished yet.

  “If Tanaka held his squadron commanders on a tight leash for this operation, then that suggests to me that it was part of a larger plan, and he’s waiting for the right time before moving forward.”

  Brandenburg nodded. “That’s what I’m wondering too. Admiral Delacor has an interesting theory that Tanaka is going to either entice or cajole King Trevor into joining a military alliance against us and didn’t want to ignite the war prematurely.”

  Terranova felt a shiver go up his spine. His boss’s theory made sense, and that meant the Empire would be at war in a matter of months, maybe even weeks. “I agree that it’s a real possibility. Maybe I should be heading back to my task force as soon as possible.”

  Brandenburg nodded even as she felt a pang of disappointment. Seeing him again had brought back some lovely memories of her own, and while she was not willing to go back on her assurances of what would and would not happen at this meeting, the possibility of something more at another time was oh so tantalising.

  “I’ll let you be the judge of when you think you should head back. It might interest you to know that Task Force 2.2 will be receiving its first shipment of Mark 10 missiles very soon. Under the circumstances, you, Admiral Xavier and Admiral Neilson will be getting the lion’s share of new missile production. Make sure you and your tactical people know how to use the Mark 10s, Marcus. You’ll receive formal orders covering when to use them, but I’ll give you the unofficial, layman’s version now. You’re to refrain from using your Mark 10s unless you’ve received subsequent orders to the contrary—or your task force is at risk or Empire planets are threatened. It’ll take another couple of months before your ships are completely reloaded with Mark 10s, and when we use them, I want us to be able to use them with overwhelming effect. Letting the cat out of the bag early might give the enemy, whoever that turns out to be, time to develop tactics that could mitigate their impact.”

  “So…if another Shogunate fleet shows up at Serpentine and tells me to take my task force and leave, I’m to do what exactly?” He could tell by her expression that she hadn’t thought that far ahead yet and didn’t have a ready answer for him.

  “I’m going to arrange for some drinks for us while I ponder that question,” she said in a slightly distracted tone. The drinks arrived by android servant quickly. Terranova couldn’t help noticing that the android had a telltale bulge between its legs. So the rumors are true. He couldn’t decide if being replaced by a sex android was better or worse than being replaced by another human.

  After she had taken a sip from her drink, she looked him in the eyes. “You’ve posed a difficult question for me as a non-military person, Marcus, but it’s a fair question. What do you think is the appropriate thing to do in those circumstances?”

  He had already asked himself that question. “If I’m facing highly unfavorable odds, then I think I should withdraw, even if my Mark 10s could tip the scale the other way. If the odds are clearly in my favor, then I stand my ground. Anything in between I would resist as much as I thought I could get away with, and if it turned into a missile duel, I’d use my Mark 9 warhead missiles first and the Mark 10s as a last resort.”

  “That sounds reasonable to me, so proceed on that basis unless you have firm orders to the contrary.”

  “I will, Empress, and thank you for clarifying that for me. This is a delightful drink by the way.”

  “Yes, it is, isn’t it? As a matter of fact, I believe it’s made from a fruit that’s been imported from Serpentine. What an interesting coincidence. There’s something else that I want to discuss with you, Marcus. What’s your opinion of Admirals Xavier and Neilson?”

  The alarm bells inside his head were going off. For the Empress herself to bring up two other admirals with him was so unusual that something had to be going on with those two. Tread carefully, a voice in his head said.

  “I think they’re both competent task force commanders. Is there some other aspect that you want me to comment on?”

  “Political reliability,” she said without hesitation.

  Now he definitely was getting nervous. This hinted at the kinds of power intrigues that he wanted to stay out of. “My impression, for what it’s worth, is that they’re both loyal officers. I haven’t seen any sign that they’re not. Have they done something to arouse your suspicions, Empress?”

  “Do you communicate with other task force commanders on a regular basis, Marcus?”

  He had a hunch that she knew exactly how often he had communicated with the other TFLs but decided to play along. “I communicate more frequently with some than with others, but I’m not sure if I would categorize them as being on a regular basis.”

  “Xavier and Neilson communicate with each other a lot, far more than with anyone else. And while I can’t prove it, I have a feeling they’re using code words.”

  Terranova let that sink in before responding. “May I ask if Admiral Delacor shares your suspicions?”

  “The Admiral is willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but she’s keeping an eye on them. Her opinion of them reflects her natural inclination to protect her subordinates from potential negative consequences. I can certainly understand that mindset. I felt the same way about my corporate subordinates and employees before I took on this job. But I also understand that loyalty to subordinates can make it more difficult to see what those subordinates are really doing. That’s why I wanted your opinion. You owe the two of them nothing and are about as unbiased as anyone could be. You said you thought they were both competent task force commanders. Competence can quite often go hand in hand with ambition. Is it possible that one or both of them has more than their fair share of ambition?”

  Terranova thought back to the few recent instances when he had interacted with either of them. “I can’t point to anything specific that they’ve said or done, but just based on my overall impression, neither one of them seems to suffer from a lack of ambition. So, yes, it’s possible that they do have more than their fair share.”

  “Thank you, Marcus. I appreciate your candor…and your loyalty.”

  That added remark caught him off balance. “I’m glad you think so, but how can you be so sure about me?”

  She gave a little laugh. “You and I spent enough intimate time together that I think I got a pretty good look into your soul. It’s amazing what you can tell about a person while in the throws of passion. I’m not saying that you’re not ambitious. I think you are, but in a positive way. And because of what we’ve shared, I also believe you are the absolute last person who would betray me.”

  “You’re right about that, Contessa; I’ve got your back. I’ll keep my ears to the ground with regards to Trev and Sonia. If I learn anything, I’ll send it to you.”

  “Actually, send it to Delacor. I don’t want her to think that I’m asking her subordinates to bypass her authority.”

  “How about I send it to both you and Delacor?” he asked with a smile.

  “That you can do.”

  When the resulting pause started to become awkward, Terranova set his glass down and said, “Was there anything else you wanted to discuss, Contessa?”

  Brandenburg wanted to say yes. She wanted to chat with him about mundane matters, like what interesting things had happened to each of them since they’d last been together, but a little voice in the back of her head kept telling her that personal chitchat was a slippery slope that would lead to more intimacy and probably regrets later. Better to end the conversation now.

  “No, nothing else, Marcus. I suppose we’re done here.”

  Terranova thought he detected a trace of wistfulness, but he simply nodded and got up. Instead of letting him formally bow, she put both hands on his shoulders, pulled him closer and kissed
him on the cheek.

  “Take care of yourself, Marcus, and let’s not wait another year before we meet again.”

  “Thank you, Contessa, and yes, sooner than a year.”

  As he left, Terranova saw Delacor approaching Brandenburg’s officer. They exchanged salutes, and she stopped walking, clearly wanting to talk.

  “How did your meeting with the Empress go, Marcus?”

  “It went fine, Admiral. It was good to see Empress Brandenburg again.”

  Delacor’s smile took on a sly aspect. Especially considering how much of her you saw in the past, eh, Marcus my boy? She wondered if he and Contessa had done more than just chat. She wouldn’t have blamed the Empress if they had. Marcus Terranova was handsome enough to be considered attractive by most women Delacor herself found him pleasing to look at but never to the point of being tempted to exploit her rank over him in a sexual way. He was a trusted subordinate, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say he was one of her most trusted subordinates, since she felt she could never completely and totally trust anyone.

  “Good. I’d like to talk with you too, but I have some information to report to the Empress. Tell you what. Let’s have lunch in the Flag Officers’ Lounge, and we can chat then.”

  “Yes, Admiral. I’ll see you then.”

  Terranova wondered if Delacor would bring up Xavier and Neilson too, but the subject didn’t come up during their lunch. Delacor seemed to be totally focused on what was happening on the Shogunate/Atlantia frontier and his recent confrontation.

  Kingdom of Atlantia Capital (Avalon):

  Wellington stepped out of the taxi and looked around. There was just enough light left to see that he was in the middle of nowhere. Another ground vehicle came up the road and stopped in front of the automated taxi. A man got out, and Wellington quickly recognized him as the Shogunate Ambassador.

  “Good evening, Admiral Wellington,” said Nagumo. “I wasn’t sure if I’d find you here.”

  “I wasn’t sure if I was coming until the last minute. Treason is a bitter pill to swallow, you know.”

  “I’ll have to take your word for that, but you haven’t committed treason yet. You can turn around and head back right now.”

  “Not till I hear what you have to say.”

  Nagumo smiled. If Wellington was willing to listen, then he was willing to be convinced to betray his King. “King Trevor is an ambitious ruler. I, and my Shogun, believe that your King really does care about the welfare of his subjects, but with his sudden, irrational impulses, he’s his own worst enemy. Would you agree with what I’ve said so far?”

  Wellington hesitated before speaking. “Maybe.”

  “You’re being careful about what you say. In case you’re wondering, I’m not recording this conversation.”

  Now it was Wellington’s turn to smile. “You’d say that even if you were recording it. Let’s assume I don’t disagree with your statement and see where that takes us, shall we.”

  “All right. His sudden impulse to attack the Shogunate was clearly a mistake, which he’s acknowledged, but people died because of it. How many more have to die before it becomes painfully obvious that he’s too reckless to be King?”

  “Please get to the point, Ambassador. What do you want from me.”

  “Nothing dramatic, I assure you, Admiral. My Shogun will very soon be proposing a military alliance against the Tau Ceti Empire in the form of a mutual-defense pact that is not limited to just defending each other against attacks by a third party. It would also include any hostilities that either the Shogunate or your Kingdom initiates. We want you to convince your King to sign such a treaty. If you’re successful, you’ll be paid a sum large enough to make you independently wealthy. You can even tell us how you want the payment made, in what form, when, and where.”

  “An alliance against Empress Brandenburg? Tanaka thinks his Navy is strong enough to take on the Empire?”

  “With your own impressive fleet alongside, yes.”

  Wellington wasn’t fooled by the Ambassador’s somewhat clumsy attempt at flattery. He was realistic enough to be able to admit to himself that the Atlantian Fleet was not even in the same league as either Tanaka’s or Brandenburg’s fleets.

  “Why should Atlantia risk going to war with the Empire?”

  Nagumo shrugged. “Your King was willing to do it with the Delisani Empire, why not the Shogunate?”

  “Tanaka doesn’t really know that for certain. His Intelligence people aren’t that good.”

  Nagumo laughed. “I just realized, Admiral, that you don’t know what was really going on, do you? The Delisani Ambassador was working for my Shogun when he approached your King and arranged for the transfer of a limited number of Type 7 missiles warheads. Where do you think he got those warheads? He got them from us. Delisani doesn’t have that kind of technology, but we do.”

  Wellington did not respond right away. His was thinking over the implications of the Ambassador having just confirmed Wellington’s suspicions of exactly that. If the Shogunate was the one with the technological edge, then his King had been exploited by both Tanaka and Delisani. Wellington put aside the momentary surge of anger and tried to focus on what course of action would be best for the Kingdom that he loved and had served faithfully for all his adult life. And if that course of action was not the best thing for King Trevor, so much the better.

  “Would Tanaka provide us with enough Type 7 warheads to equip our entire fleet?”

  Nagumo hesitated. “I can’t commit my Shogun to that, but I’m sure he would seriously consider it.”

  “What about the Three Sisters?” asked Wellington before Nagumo could continue. “Does the Kingdom get them back?”

  “Of course. They were yours to begin with. But—”

  “My King will want to share in the spoils of the conquered Empire too,” interrupted Wellington.

  Nagumo allowed his annoyance at being interrupted show on his expression for a second before resuming his calm demeanor. “Well, again I can’t make that decision on my own, but I’m sure something could be worked out. Any other demands?”

  “No.”

  “Does that mean you’ll do it, convince King Trevor to accept the offer?”

  “If I’m going to do that, I’ll have to make my arguments sound convincing. Suggesting things that King Trevor should demand from your Shogun as part of the deal would be the perfect cover. So, if your Shogun isn’t going to be flexible, then tell me now, and we can be on our way.”

  Nagumo’s friendly expression suddenly became cold. “Be careful here, Admiral. There’s a limit to what my Shogun is prepared to agree to. Your fleet attacked us, remember? Your King came this close“—he made a gesture with his thumb & forefinger—“to being the hunted instead of the hunter. If my Shogun rejects your King’s demands and there is no treaty, then you get nothing. And if my Shogun is sufficiently…let’s say annoyed at you, your service to your King could come to a sudden halt.”

  Wellington hoped he was putting the right amount of contriteness in his voice when he started speaking. “Your point is well taken. I’ll try to find that fine line between not enough demands and too many, but there’ll have to be some demands. King Trevor may think of them himself if I don’t bring them up first.”

  Nagumo’s expression didn’t change. “Then let’s see how this thing turns out shall we? I’ll report back to my Shogun that you’ll do your best to get a treaty signed. Have a good evening, Admiral.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Kingdom of Atlantia Capital (Avalon):

  “What did you want to see me about, Admiral?” asked Trevor.

  Wellington took a deep breath. He was about to take a big risk, and he wasn’t sure how his King would react to it.

  “I wanted to report to you a conversation I had last night with the Shogunate Ambassador, Your Majesty.”

  Trevor looked at him, his expression one of confusion. “Last night? The Ambassador came to the Palace last night and no one t
old me about it?”

  “No, Your Majesty, he didn’t come here. I had received a message from him asking for a confidential meeting in a remote location. It ended up being in the middle of a field. You see, Your Majesty, he tried to bribe me.”

  Trevor’s confused expression became a frown. “Did he now. I hope you turned him down, Admiral.”

  “I did better than that, Your Majesty. I pretended to accept the offer. If I had turned it down flat, there’d be a high probability that Shogun Tanaka would start planning a war against your Kingdom. You see, he wants me to convince you to accept his soon-to-arrive offer of a military alliance that will include a combined assault by the Shogunate and your Kingdom against the Tau Ceti Empire. And by the way, Your Majesty, Ambassador Nagumo confirmed to me that my speculation about the Delisani Ambassador secretly working for Tanaka was accurate. That confirmation alone was worth meeting him I think.”