"That's in the best case," Miya noted gloomily. "There's also a completely realistic possibility that the help signal was never picked up, and no one will be there to meet us. Then, we'll come back to a shuttle filled with nitrous oxide gas, and I won't have time or power to send us back to a safe place."
It was an unenviable perspective, but I still saw no alternative to our returning — we couldn't just sit forever in this isolated and unstable part of space. Miya nodded in agreement:
"And I wasn't suggesting we stay here forever. This is merely a temporary shelter. I have no way of getting more energy to consume here, so my strength will slowly decrease. Also, I cannot leave Deia. Without me, our little daughter is doomed, because she’s a problem for too many aristocrats."
"For example?" I asked, immediately on guard, as any information about threats to my infant daughter was very important to me.
Miya stayed silent for a bit, then moved her gaze away from me and said quietly:
"Well, at least the ones who are in line for the throne right behind your children — the Duke and Duchess of Unatari. And don't interrupt me, Georg, first listen. You have a perfect basis to trust your second cousin Katerina and her husband Corwin, as well as your former father-in-law Valesy and Duchess Silva. They all owe you a lot and will not betray you under any circumstances, I am absolutely sure of that as a Truth Seeker. But all their loyalty only applies to you, not your children. So, if you suddenly disappear without a trace, a harsh struggle for power will begin, and the part of your children will be unenviable. But let's hope it doesn't come to that. Pray the signal reached our people, and they have taken measures."
My spouse was clearly not happy with herself for starting this conversation, and tried somewhat awkwardly to change the topic. But I, on the other hand, tried to immediately sort through all the details so I wouldn't have to return to this sensitive issue later. Looking Miya right in the eyes, I asked a direct question:
"Tell me, was Duke Corwin ton Unatari on One-Eyed Python during the explosion?"
The redheaded beauty, not taking her eyes off me, nodded in silence.
"And he died?"
Another silent nod. One of those who Miya considered a potential threat to her daughter had just died in the cruiser explosion. Wasn't that just too nice a coincidence? Shamelessly taking advantage of the fact that the Truth Seeker was unable to openly lie to a question, if I asked her directly, I inquired:
"Tell me why you neglected to inform the cruiser captain of the threat."
Miya finally took her gaze away and spent a long time in silence before giving an honest answer:
"Okay, Georg. I really did purposely not wake the sleeping captain to tell him about the enemy forces storming the cruiser. I already knew by then that the ship was doomed, and that everyone remaining on board would die. It may have been possible to save Duke Corwin, but I didn't do that. Why? It isn't so much because of a personal dislike of him, although my opinion of the Duke did have an impact, I won't hide that. The important thing is that, at that time, I was actively working to read all possible options of how to save myself, and you as well, so everything else was of secondary concern. Do you judge me for that, Georg?"
I shook my head in the negative. How can you judge a person for the fact that, above all else, they wanted to save themselves and their dearest? Miya had done the right thing, managing in a critical situation to articulate the most important mission and save us both from a huge catastrophe. But it would be for the best if Duchess Katerina didn't find out...
"Alright, let your cousin think that her husband Corwin died in a firefight with Blue House assault troops in the cruiser corridors, heroically holding back the onslaught of attackers on his One-Eyed Python."
"I agree, that would be best for everyone. But let's leave the poetry for later. Miya, are you ready to send us back?"
The Truth Seeker gave a wry laugh:
"Georg, I've been ready for a while, but you haven't. Your consciousness is too active, and that will complicate the procedure. So, we'll have to think up another way to put you under. I cannot do harm to you, so the simple and effective method used by Popori de Cacha is right out, as is simply smacking you on the head with something heavy. So, it's up to you — either we wait patiently for you to get tired and go to bed, or we try to get you sloppy drunk. The booze here is perfectly good for those purposes, but it causes quite the hangover."
It didn't take me long to decide — I had just woken up and was energetic and full of strength, so it would be some time before I'd be ready to sleep again. I picked the second option.
"Alright then!" the beautiful redhead replied, lighting up as she dug in the mini-bar and pulled out a few bottles of wine along with a dark bottle of brandy. "There's no particular reason for us to hurry, Georg, we’ve got five hours until anyone’s expecting us, so I suggest a romantic candle-lit dinner. I'm gonna stuff myself after my three-day fast, but you try to stick to the booze."
Despite the inevitable anxiety before walking into the dangerous unknown, I couldn't stop myself from laughing at the paradoxical nature of the moment:
"Most wives try to make sure their husbands don't get too drunk. But you, on the other hand, have set a mission to get me wasted."
"Well, I've gotta rouse my husband’s spirits somehow," the beauty laughed craftily. "I mean, seeing your wife lying naked for three whole days barely even caught your eye..."
Seeing the embarrassment on my face, Miya laughed happily:
"I know, Georg, I know. You're not like that. That's one way you're different from the other Mesfelles. My helpless state in crystal naps didn't stop them one bit... it was more the opposite, in fact. But let's not dig up painful memories. It's been a long time since we've had such a great opportunity to spend time alone, just us two, so let's not waste it..."
* * *
"The Crown Prince is awake!" came a loud cry, making me wince in pain.
Why scream like that? Didn't they know that sharp movements and loud sounds were like harsh torture for me right now? Oh, my splitting head! With massive effort, I peeled back my eyelids and tried to focus my vision. A shadowy figure was quickly approaching me, forcing a cup of something into my hand.
"Drink this Georg. It will make it better," I recognized the voice of my cousin Katerina.
What the heck was she doing here? And where the heck was I?! I took a sip of the bitter, slightly salty fizzy drink and led my gaze over the room, already feeling my senses return. I could be sure this wasn't the shuttle we'd made the emergency landing in. It was a well-lit room with walls of plastic. As if reading my mind, Katerina answered my unasked question:
"This is a rescue camp deployed on top of a mountain on the second planet in the Forepost-22 system. But the Unatari rescue team really had to work to get to your shuttle at the bottom of that two-mile deep ravine! How you had the presence of mind to fly down there on a space shuttle and not hit any cliffs is beyond my understanding! The emergency signal couldn’t even make it out of those depths, although our Yayho border fleet was already in the system, called by the Mechanoid. You should thank Popori de Cacha for your rescue. He had to climb up a practically vertical cliff to a plateau, which is where he managed to establish contact with our ships!"
So, there it was! I hadn't even considered that the emergency signal might not be heard from down there. It turned out that my life had been hanging from an even finer thread than I suspected.
"I will have to thank Popori de Cacha, then. Where is he now?"
"The chameleon was sent to a burn ward in Sector Nine — he's got nitrous acid abrasions all over his skin. The human space suit turned out to be too narrow for a creature of the Ravaash race, and also, the chameleon needed his feet and hands free to climb up the rocks. So, Popori de Cacha took only the helmet and oxygen tanks, leaving his body unprotected against the acidic gas."
Seeing the fear on my face, Katerina rushed to reassure me:
"The medics say that he ha
s very serious burns, and that the outer layers of tissue were deeply injured and necrotized, but his recovery prognosis isn't all that bad. Your bodyguard leader is sure to survive, and after molting, will even be able to go invisible as well. But Popori de Cacha will have to spend a few months in a clinic."
To my great shame, only then did I notice Katerina's appearance — she was wearing a black dress with a ribbon of mourning in her hair. I apologized for my callousness and expressed sympathy to my cousin. Katerina nodded distantly:
"After the reactor explosion, the remains of Duke Corwin and the other crew members from One-Eyed Python and Emperor August could only be identified by DNA. Yesterday we gave them a funeral with military honors. Five hundred forty airtight coffins were sent on a final flight into the nearest star... Another group of bodies were discovered earlier, orbiting the first planet in a shot-down rescue shuttle. There were six people there from your bodyguard, four chameleons and the praying mantis Phobos."
What happened at that critical moment when our shuttle had left the bomb-laden cruiser finally reached me:
"That shuttle was the first to take off from the doomed One-Eyed Python. It noticed a threat near the station and went into a warp jump to the first planet, leading the Blue House frigates after it. Our second shuttle only escaped because of that. The group of Blue House Claws went off to chase the defenseless victim, which we know only from radar records."
"Those bastards shot high-speed cannons at an unarmed rescue shuttle, and before that, made a vile attack on a diplomatic mission docked on a space station, and killed my husband. Georg, while you were gone, I took responsibility and, in the name of the Unatari State, declared war on the Blue House. The day before yesterday, there was a space battle in the Forepost-22 system. Our Yayho Border Fleet was wiped out by the Blue House Second Fleet but, after that, the Ayho Strike Fleet and Virho Heavy Fleet reversed the situation, and the enemy retreated."
I shook my head in dismay — how could they have allowed a firefight between the Yayho Border Fleet, consisting of only one hundred fifty light ships, against an enemy fleet of more than a thousand?! My cousin, seeing my vexation and understanding that I would never have allowed such losses, rushed to tell me more positive news:
"The neighboring star systems of Paada and Boti have already been captured by our ships. The battleships of Admirals Kheraisss Vej and Masss Azhzh are taking down the planetary defense systems, while thirteen Trias are leading a mass landing of Alpha Iseyek. Unatari's remaining forces are already on the way. The Sector Nine Fleet will arrive to the Forepost-22 system in eight hours, and the Second Unatari Fleet will be here the day after tomorrow. The Sector Eight Fleet and our First Fleet are also underway. Now, with our main military leader and monarch alive and well, I am glad to pass the reins of government back to you. Georg, crush these lowlifes! The Blue House must be destroyed!"
Bloodthirsty Avenger
MY FACE gone pale, and my teeth clenched until they cracked, I was watching a report on the landing of the praying mantis assault troops from a small town called Seaside on the planet Paada-II. The presenter was a young man in a sleeveless shirt with the emblem of one of Paada's local news agencies.
A Blue House infantry base on the outskirts of Seaside had already been destroyed by orbital bombardment, along with some light armor hangars. Six forty-ton bombs, launched from the battleships of the Virho Heavy Fleet by Admiral Masss Azhzh had turned the military base into a moonscape with huge craters. Very few Blue House military officers had survived the fiery hell. Orbital bombardment from battleships left very little chance of survival. And now, the hastily recruited Seaside militia — firemen, medical workers and even simple civilians — had picked up firearms from the local police and hunting shops, and were preparing to meet the Alpha Iseyek landing troops.
Despite the fact that their resistance was totally hopeless, I didn't see any signs of despondency or gloom on their faces. Quite the opposite. The people were full of decisiveness to fight the insect invaders to the last drop of blood. There were rousing and patriotic speeches, some were even joking. A young couple in the background was kissing. A boy in police uniform was making plans for the evening after the battle, while his smiling girlfriend pressed up to him, wearing a camouflage armor suit over a lightweight, brightly colored dress.
And this all had nothing to do with lack of information about our forces. No, the danger of the genetically enhanced ten-foot-high praying mantises was something they all understood perfectly. My soldiers were well known to be capable of running five times faster than humans and were also bulletproof with their impenetrable armor. But the people felt they had to fight for their homes and families, so they weren't even considering retreat or capitulation.
"It will all be a lot harder than we supposed..." I said gloomily, turning to my advisor, the Beta Iseyek Apasss Ugu.
The huge pill bug stared at me with his many tiny eyes. Even before Bionica had translated his chirruping, I had detected notes of surprise in the insect's trill.
"I don't know what you mean, Your Majesty. Savasss Jach's landing troops will capture that little town without even noting resistance. Losses among our soldiers, if there are any, will be utterly insignificant."
Just then, a pair of heavy machine guns on the roof of the local school hummed into action. Some of the defenders tried to take down a low-flying Iseyek reconnaissance drone, studying the positions of the troops before the landing operation.
"Get me a feed from this drone!" I demanded and, in a separate window on the big screen, there appeared some scenes taken from flight.
There was a barricade of concrete blocks at the entrance to the city. There were a few trenches dug out nearby, and some hurriedly built firing points. In them were two hundred militia members with miserable armor and weaponry... Just a few minutes work for my Alpha Iseyek, who didn't know pity and lived only through war. The huge praying mantises, having come down from the sky hungry, would make no discount for the fact that they were being resisted by a barely trained militia. They would see these doomed people as nothing more than a high-calorie food source. All that felt incorrect. I asked to be put through to Duchess Katerina ton Unatari and shared my doubts with my cousin. My advisor, still dressed in mourning clothes, was very categorical in her appraisal:
"Georg, take into account that you are not watching a normal broadcast, but propaganda dreamed up by the best Blue House psychologists, professionally directed and made to create a certain effect in the mind! Our enemy is making themselves out to be the innocent victim and drawing attention to the alleged interspecies conflict between humans and insects. But you must know that they are completely wrong!"
"Yes, I know! But if even I, leading the invasion of the Blue House, feel extremely conflicting emotions from this broadcast and sympathy for the defenders, then imagine how normal Imperial citizens will take these video clips! If it goes on like this, humanity will turn away from us, while the Emperor will declare war on our state!"
"He won't," my cousin laughed predatorily. "Our opponents made two very big mistakes, beyond the fact that they chose to attack possibly the most dangerous man in the galaxy. You see, Georg, they didn't just blow up one of our heavy assault cruisers, but a ship built with the personal funds of the Emperor himself, and bearing his very name: Emperor August. And at that, Bayazid Krom died with the ship, who Emperor August had personally given a medal after the battle with the Aliens in Hnelle, and even awarded with the Order of the Emerald Star. Insofar as I know, after the attack, the Emperor was simply rabid and told the young Duchess Ovella royl Stok ton Miro that he was extremely perturbed by her actions. The second error made by the head of the Blue House is that, after Unatari declared war on the Blue House, Duchess Ovella became enraged and ordered our ambassador hanged."
"She executed Paola ton Akad?!" I asked in horror.
"That's right, cousin," Katerina confirmed in a hate-filled voice. "And beyond the fact that all ambassadors are untouchable,
and this murder caused a negative reaction from all social strata of the Empire, it would have been hard to find a worse victim in the whole Universe. Paola ton Akad was the great granddaughter of Krista, the strongest Truth Seeker in the galaxy and the personal psionic of the Emperor. What's more, Paola was a member of the Akad family, which includes the ruler of the Empire himself, August royl Akad. De facto, over the last few days, the Blue House has spat in the Emperor's face two times. And after something like that, do you think the Empire will come to their aid against us?"
All that, of course, was true and my cousin, as usual, had read the situation correctly. What was more, my state had long had a trump card in the form of billions of praying mantis landing troops, who made capturing any space station or inhabited planet nothing but a question of time. Probably, it was worth making a clear demonstration of this power, so all of Unatari's neighbors would understand what awaited them in the case of aggression against us. But still, I couldn't get past the feeling that what was happening was wrong.
Achievement unlocked: Bloodthirsty Avenger
Global fame increase. Current value: +65
Global standing decrease. Current value: +7
Standing change. Empire Military faction opinion of you has worsened.
Present Empire Military faction opinion of you: +58 (veneration)
The message that appeared before my eyes reflected my own feelings perfectly. My fame was growing, but it was as the leader of an insect army annihilating human planets. Bloodthirsty Avenger? Yes, in the eyes of the people of the Empire, that was exactly how I most likely looked, and no words of reassurance from my cousin could overshadow that bitter truth. But Katerina was trying to distract me from the sad thoughts:
"Don't worry, Georg. We're about to put out a big series of reports about the low cunning of the Blue House and Duchess Ovella. We'll raise the curtain of mystery from the whole series of political murders, which allowed such a young royal to sit on the throne of a Great House. And if the enemy propaganda bothers you, there always remains the option of sending information from the fronts to the warp beacons, and then the Paada and Boti star systems will be cut off hermetically from the Empire, and no one will know about what is happening."
A Game With No Rules (Perimeter Defense Book #4) LitRPG Series Page 7
