by D. J. Holmes
“And what if the Indian’s call our bluff?” the Home Secretary asked. “Clearly their actions have been premeditated. Our fleet is weaker than it has been in fifty years because of the war with China. I believe we have to operate under the assumption that they may be willing to go to war. The question is, are we? And besides that, what are we going to war over? We haven’t yet discussed what we will do with Haven if the Indians recall their troops or we are forced to invade ourselves.”
“I can’t speak to the direction we should take on Haven, though you all know my opinion.” Somerville replied. “However, if the RSN is called on to retake Haven from an Indian fleet then you can rest assured we will. The Gift gives us an enormous tactical advantage. We can have ships from Earth in orbit around Haven in twenty days. It will take the Indians almost two months. As long as we can keep the Gift a secret then we can run rings around the them. My staff have already come up with a number of tactical plans to retake Haven. It will be costly, but we can do it.”
“Thank you Admiral,” Fairfax said. “Let’s move on then. Assuming that we can intimidate the Indians, or if that fails, we can retake Haven. What should be our aims for Haven itself?”
“We would like to become a British protectorate,” Suzanna said.
“But will both our peoples accept that?” Jack Cameron, the Foreign Minister, said, turning to face Suzanna. “I’m not denying that would be the ideal outcome from our perspective. We could effectively gain control over Haven and the trade routes to Vestar and Kulthar. Yet your people have committed piracy, you took in Chang, and you attacked Pemel’s ship. Public opinion is going to be against simply forgiving you and taking you under our wings.
“Any move we make towards Haven will have to be ratified in both the Commons and the Lords. The Lords will pass a bill to accept Haven, yet if public opinion is against it, it is going to be very hard to pass in the Commons.
“And that pales in comparison to the difficulties we may face in convincing your population to allow the British government to take over Haven. If your people are as independent as you have said, will they really accept giving up a good portion of their sovereignty? I can’t see the UN Interplanetary Committee ratifying any attempt we make to annex Haven unless the people of Haven vote for it.”
“Ah, you are forgetting one thing Home Secretary,” King Edward said. “The Indians have done us a favor in that department. If they really have launched an invasion, then the people of Haven will have endured months of occupation before we could possibly liberate them. I dare say they will be more susceptible to our proposals after a few months of living under Indian rule.
“Besides,” Edward continued, “Fairfax and I have a plan for the governorship of Haven if they become a protectorate. One that I think will stand a good chance of encouraging the people to side with us.” As he spoke Edward flashed a smile towards James which sent a shiver down his back. King Edward had a history of using people as pawns to get what he wanted when the stakes were high. What does he think he is going to get me to do now? James groaned to himself.
“That still doesn’t solve our problem with our own populace. How do we win them over to accepting Haven?” the Foreign Minister said.
“Home Secretary,” Fairfax prompted. “Can we win a vote in the Commons?”
“It will take a lot of work, and we’ll have to cash in more than a few favors, but yes. I think we can do it. The Councilwoman’s speech has already helped to move the debate on from what Haven has done to how we should treat them in the future. It may take us a day or two to formulate a full plan but once we do, I think a joint press conference between you and the Councilwoman would be in order. If you both speak directly to the British people, I think you can sway public opinion in our favor. After that, we just need to make sure we have enough votes,” Jillian Strider said to Fairfax.
“In that case, I want to push forward with a vote to accept Haven’s request to become a protectorate,” Fairfax decided. “We have already been working along these lines for the last few weeks, we just have to step up our timetable. Councilwoman Rodriguez, I’m going to schedule a debate in both Houses on the issue in four days. I want you to open the debate by formally petitioning Parliament on behalf of the Haven government to become a protectorate.
“We will hold a vote in both houses three days after that. That gives us a week people. I want everyone to call in all the favors they have. We need to pass this with a significant majority.
“Jack, I want you and the foreign office to work around the clock with the Americans and the French. We need to put together a formal declaration that we can all sign calling on the Indians to remove their troops from Haven. I want to release it the day the debate in Parliament begins.”
“Yes Prime Minister,” the Foreign Minister said.
“Captain Somerville,” Fairfax continued, “I want you to liaise with your First Lieutenant. I’m going to give the order to Vulcan to make Endeavour’s repairs a priority. When the vote passes in Parliament I’m going to dispatch you and Endeavour to Haven. You can sneak past the Indian defenses and broadcast our decision to the Haven people. I also want you to get in contact with whatever is left of the Haven government and get a situation update. If we are going to have to make a move on the system, both I and your uncle will be much happier if we know we can count on the Havenites to help us. Your First Lieutenant will need to make sure Endeavour is ready for another long space deployment.”
“Yes Prime Minister, but I am sure I can oversee...”
“No you can’t,” Fairfax said, interrupting James. “Because you will be retiring to your family’s estate. And you will be taking the Councilwoman with you. There have already been enough leaks about her to the Indians and the press for one week. I have arranged two RSN agents to smuggle her out of London to your estate. Officially you will be enjoying a few days’ holiday. I don’t want to see anything about you or her on the news broadcasts except what we feed them. Understood?”
“Yes sir,” James said.
“In that case I think we are done for now. We will meet again this time tomorrow for an update on your progress. You all know what to do. Let’s get this done,” Fairfax said.
Chapter 8 – Badminton House
As I have stated elsewhere, the aristocracy of the British Star Empire played a significant role in the establishment of the Lords of the Empire. Even today there are feuds over whose titles are the oldest and who owns the most ancient feudal buildings.
-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD
24th March, 2467 AD, Badminton House, Gloucestershire, England.
Three days after the COBRA meeting James sat on one of the rotundas outside his family home, sipping coffee from a mug one of the maids had brought him. He was thinking how surreal his life had become.
Here he was without a care in the world enjoying the morning sun as he looked out over the peaceful lake in front of him, when around him the whole world seemed to be going crazy. Just a day after the UN session Viceroy Pemel had announced that he was leaving Earth. Officially he had said it was because he did not want his presence to be a factor that caused disharmony between the different nations. Privately, he had sent James a message explaining that if his people back on Kulthar thought he was getting involved in another species’ politics, they would quickly replace him. Pemel had wished James good luck and promised he would return to have more in depth trade talks once the situation with Haven had calmed down.
James had immediately sent the message to his uncle who had no doubt sent it on to the Prime Minister. If solving the Haven issue quickly hadn’t already been Fairfax’s highest priority, Pemel’s message would have put it there. James knew his government was desperate to open up trade negotiations with the Kulreans. Their civilization was thousands of years older than Earth’s and as a result, they had many technologies that humanity hadn’t even dreamt of yet.
As a result of Pemel’s public announcement and the rumors of war between Brit
ain and India the tension around the world was growing rapidly. There was also an intensive propaganda war going on as both the British and Indian governments sought to gain the moral high ground.
As far as James could see, the British were winning easily in most of the neutral countries. It wasn’t too hard for his government to deny any complicity in the atrocities Haven’s government had committed. On the other hand, it was impossible for the Indian government to deny that they had effectively launched an invasion of an independent colony. After all, their Prime Minister had announced it to the entire Sol system live.
Yet, while all this had been going on he had spent the last three days showing Suzanna around his family’s estate. They had gone horseback riding through the fields and forests of the estate, swimming in the lake and fishing for trout in the river. He had also taken her shooting and Suzanna had shot herself a deer which the cook promised would be hung and prepared for dinner in a couple of weeks. Suzanna had been amazed at all the things they had been able to enjoy. On Haven the wildlife was a lot less sophisticated and since no horses or other domesticated animals had been a part of the colony ship’s inventory, they were all new to her. Her excitement and wonder had been infectious.
It seemed, for a little while at least, that James had helped her to forget everything that was happening on her world. For his part, James had found himself enjoying Suzanna’s company more and more. Yet despite more than one opportunity for him to try and take their relationship further, he had found himself holding back. His memories and feelings for Christine were still just too strong.
A creak from the door behind James caused the dog that was lying at his feet to jump up and sniff the air. As Suzanna stepped out of one of the patio doors into the rotunda it bounded over to her. The dog had already learnt that it would get a lot more attention from her than James. “It’s so beautiful here,” Suzanna said as she came to sit beside him.
“It’s truly is,” James had to agree. Growing up in Badminton House had hardened him to the wonders of the estate, but seeing it through Suzanna’s eyes had re-impressed on him its beauty. It wasn’t hard for James to remember the look on Suzanna’s face when they had come into view of the manor house. They had turned off the main road through the county into the estate’s private forest. After two miles of forest, the ground vehicle had broken out of the trees into the fields that surrounded the house.
Suzanna had gasped when she saw the fields full of sheep, cows and horses and then her eyes had spotted the lake and followed it around to where it came up to the front of Badminton House. His grandfather had undertaken an expensive remodeling to return the house to its 17th century grandeur and even James had to admit that it looked impressive.
Suzanna had immediately fallen in love and she had demanded a tour of every one of the sixty-five rooms in the house. She had especially loved the sitting room and adjoining library his grandfather had decorated with 17th century furnishings. As she had walked down the main hallway where paintings of the previous Dukes of Beaufort lined the walls James had heard her whisper, “Such a legacy.”
James hadn’t shared his thoughts with her but he had been thinking along the same lines. This visit to his family home was the first time he had been back since he had graduated from the naval academy. Walking down the hallway with Suzanna had been the first time it had dawned on him that one day a painting of him would hang in the main hallway. Growing up he had always known that his eldest brother would inherit the Dukedom. He had been his father’s favorite and it was custom to hand the title from father to eldest son. Yet when James’ father had run the Dukedom into massive debt and had then killed himself, he had left the failing business and the title to James.
His brother was an irredeemable drunk who had since moved to Britannia to drink away the stipend his father had left him. James wasn’t sure if being given the family estate and business had been because his father had thought he could turn things around or because his father had wanted to have one last laugh at his second son. Either way, James had been forced to make the best of it.
“I could just stay here forever,” Suzanna said as she reached her arms up to stretch out on the chair beside him.
“How did you sleep?” James asked.
“Very well,” Suzanna said with a smile. “That horse riding took it out of me yesterday. I slept like a baby.”
“You are a natural,” James said. “I was forced to take lessons as a child but it was never my thing. After a couple of days you are already more comfortable up there than me.”
“I always used to love imagining what it would be like to ride a horse as a girl,” Suzanna replied. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity.”
“It has been my pleasure,” James said. “I’m just happy I have been able to be a good host.”
“Ha, that’s nonsense I’m sure,” Suzanna said. “I bet the Honorable James Somerville has taken plenty of women back to his father’s big estate to try and impress them.”
“Not as many as you might think,” James said with a smile. “My family’s wealth and reputation scared most of the girls off when I was younger and I was never interested in something casual. You are the first woman I have ever brought here.”
“Really?” Suzanna said, genuinely surprised. “What about Empress Christine. Didn’t you bring her here when she was your princess?”
“We kept our relationship a secret from our fathers when it began,” James explained. “Then, after my father’s death, my family’s reputation was too tarnished for a member of the Royal Family to be associated with me. We kept seeing each other but we couldn’t meet in public. Eventually her father found out and made sure we couldn’t meet at all. That is how I ended up in my first command at the far edge of human space.”
“Well I am sorry that was your experience,” Suzanna said reaching over to touch James’ hand. “But at the same time I am not. Was it not on Drake that you became the man and leader you are today?”
“I did a lot of growing up on Drake, if that is what you mean?” James said.
“Yes, exactly, and it was this grown-up Captain Somerville who came to the rescue of my people and I, for one, am not sorry.”
“Ha,” James said putting his coffee down. “I’m glad my heartache could be of some use to you Councilwoman.”
“Oh be quiet,” Suzanna said as she turned her back on James in a playful manner. “You are spoiling the view.”
“I’m afraid you won’t have too much longer to enjoy this break from reality,” James said. “I received a message from Buckingham Palace forty minutes ago. King Edward and my uncle are coming to visit us in an hour. I imagine they have a lot of things they want to talk about.”
“What?” Suzanna said, whirling on him. “They will be here in an hour. Why didn’t you tell me? I need to get ready!”
“I thought we could enjoy breakfast together and then you could get ready,” James answered.
“You really don’t have any experience with women!” Suzanna groaned as she jumped to her feet. “I’ll never be ready in an hour,” she added as she hurried towards the door back into the house.
“But I have ordered breakfast,” James protested.
“You are eating alone this morning Captain,” Suzanna called back over her shoulder. “You should have told me as soon as you heard from the palace!”
*
An hour and fifteen minutes later, James stood dressed in one of his uniforms just outside the main doors of Badminton House. A large shuttle had just landed on one of the front lawns and James waited to greet his distinguished guests. “Send a maid to tell Suzanna that the King has arrived,” James said to one of the butlers who stood waiting with him.
When the King exited the shuttle, James descended the steps to the front door and approached him. “Welcome to Badminton House your Majesty, I am at your service,” James said taking the King’s hand.
“Thank you Duke Somerville,” King Edward said. “My, my, it certainly i
s in good condition,” he continued as he looked at the manor house. “Someone has put a lot of care into maintaining it. It has weathered the centuries almost as well as Buckingham Palace.”
“I’m sure it doesn’t really compare,” James said politely. “But my grandfather did take great pride in keeping the family home in good repair. It cost him a small fortune mind you.”
“I’m sure, I’m sure,” Edward said. “And this was your home at one time Admiral?”
“Yes, Your highness,” Admiral Somerville said from beside the King. “I was born just a few years before my father, James’ grandfather, began the restoration work. I still remember seeing the house without her roof on. She looked like a ruin for a couple of years before my father finally finished his work on her.”
“Well it was certainly worth the expense, his work has impressed me,” Edward said. “Shall we go in and get down to business?”
