A Game With No Rules (Perimeter Defense Book #4) LitRPG Series

by Michael Atamanov

  "Tell the Imperial Secretariat that I was at the Throne World not that long ago, and I really hated the reception they showed me in the Silver Palace. So, if Emperor August royl Akad is so thirsting to speak with me, let him haul his fat ass off the throne, go over to the nearest data screen and give me a call. I promise that I will hear out his grievances in the most attentive fashion, and give my commentary on all issues."

  "What, should-d I j-just s-say it like that?" the communications officer asked, nearly having a stroke.

  "If your good upbringing won't allow you to say the word 'ass' to the Emperor, use a more concordant synonym: butt, posterior, center of gravity, or whatever you like," I allowed gracefully, and my subordinate hurried to sign off.

  Astra, having overheard the conversation, even spilled some juice from her glass. Bionica didn't allow herself such clumsiness, but also didn't hide her surprise:

  "My Prince, shouldn't you be speaking 'as politely as possible and even in a servile manner' with the ruler of the Empire, as demanded by law and courtly etiquette?"

  "I should, but only if the Emperor is sound of mind and inspires respect and awe in his subjects. But only a madman, having lost all connection with reality, could send such an unfulfillable demand to me. And why be so dainty with a crazy person? And if Emperor August doesn't know what's going on, and the message was sent by a secretary without his knowledge then all the more so. Why should I bow and scrape before them?"

  We continued our dinner, although the former atmosphere of good will at the table had completely disappeared. I was waiting for the Throne World's next move with anxiety. And truly, before five minutes had gone by, the very same communications officer told me that someone from the Throne World wanted to speak to me. Could August really have swallowed the injurious words about his fat ass and decided to speak? The man on the screen was not the Emperor, but Count Timur royl Nayt ton Miro, the official representative of the Imperial Joint Chiefs of Staff. There was no bowing and scraping, nor greeting. The man immediately got to business:

  "Crown Prince Georg, I sincerely hope that you have an explanation for why Unatari State combat ships have entered the Silli, Uvari and New Oborite systems, which belong to the Imperial Core."

  "Of course, Count. I am acting in complete accordance with Imperial law. Look in the Codex on Great House and Allied Kingdom Ship Movement, section eight, paragraph three, note six. I'm rushing to save the life of my daughter, who is in Perimeter Sector Seven, and so am taking the shortest possible route."

  The man on the screen started thinking. Clearly, he had a legal database open before his eyes and was searching for the law I'd just named, and the concrete paragraph. Count Timur needed just two minutes to familiarize himself with it and think it over.

  "Is Crown Princess Joan royl Georg ton Unatari really in danger?" the Count clarified with doubt, having correctly determined which of my four daughters I was referring to.

  "Haven't you noticed, Count, that the Antagonists have killed absolutely all of her relatives in the last week and a half? The head of the Purple House Duke Takuro and his three sons, all grandchildren... The list of victims is massive, over seventy aristocrats from ruling families. Just don't tell me that the Imperial Military knows nothing of this story!"

  "And why not? We are well informed of the chaos in the Purple House due to change in leadership there. But what do the Antagonists have to do with this? The new head of the Purple House is Duchess Violetta, a loyal servant of the Purple House and, by the way, your sister! These are the internal power struggles of a Great House, and the Empire does not intervene in such matters."

  "And do you also not know that the Gold, Purple and Green Houses, in accordance with the Antagonist invasion plan are going to form the so-called Grand Duchy and leave the Empire in the next few hours? Or is that also none of the Empire's business, and just internal politics of one of the Great Houses? And the fact that Duchess Violetta is part of the Antagonist's shadow government and is even part of the ruling Triumvirate, is that also news to you?"

  The man cringed in dismay and said with reproach:

  "Crown Prince, forgive me for the harsh words, but what is this bullshit? What do you mean 'shadow government,' and 'Triumvirate?' The Antagonists have been ruled single-handedly by Crown Prince Eleonora royl Akad for two centuries, and as far as I can tell, no one has overthrown her yet."

  "The Emperor's sister Eleonora is more than three hundred years old. She's a decrepit old bat, whose health has long prevented her from truly controlling anything. But unlike her brother, Eleonora had enough balls to recognize her impotence and hand power over the Gold House to the three people she trusted most, the so-called Triumvirate. Now, Eleonora is just a figurehead that doesn't decide anything and, from what I've heard, is even in a deep coma. It's totally different people in charge. One of the real rulers of the Antagonists is Eleonora's granddaughter Duchess Violetta royl Inoky ton Mesfelle, who recently came to power over the Purple House."

  The Count twisted his lips in disbelief and slightly tilted his head to the side. The news was too shocking to just take at face value.

  "Crown Prince Georg, you cannot just throw such accusations around so carelessly! If this is all made up to justify your fleet's passage..."

  "Come on! Wake up!" I couldn't hold back and raised my voice to a scream. "How blind must you be to not see the obvious!!! What point is there for the Empire to have a secret spy corps if they do not fulfill their duties or know about the Empire's historic enemy! The situation is such that the Antagonists have killed every single Purple House ruler loyal to the Empire. The only survivor, Crown Princess Joan, with the remnants of the Perimeter Sector Seven Fleet, also loyal to the Empire, are now stuck in a dead-end in the Nayal and Veyerde systems, and will soon be killed if I don't help her! My fleet is now rushing to rescue the Crown Princess! It's up to you, Count, to believe me or not, but I'll bring my ships to Sector Seven to save my daughter, even if I have to fight my way through!"

  Count Timur thought it over deeply and for a long time. It seemed to me that he was consulting with someone, or even more likely, with a whole group of people. Finally, the Joint Chiefs representative gave his answer:

  "Unatari State ships will not have to fight their way through. We'll clear a path. But the Joint Chiefs still want to know exactly what of your forces are now passing through Core territory."

  I couldn't believe my ears. They didn't even have a way to tell? My fleet had passed through three star systems of the Imperial Core already, and the Imperial military still hadn't gotten radar signatures on my fleet?! My opinion of the Imperial military fell through the deck of my ship. I mean, I had peaceful intentions, and wasn't threatening public order in the Empire. But if I'd wanted to take hostile action? In the nineteen hours it took them to make their first reaction, I'd have been able to capture five, or even eight systems. The Empire could have lost ten percent of its territory before they even realized they'd been attacked!

  All the same, I didn't reproach them for their disorganized border control. Instead, I brought up on screen a list of all the ships in my fleet and started reading them off:

  "Five carriers, two Uukresh and three Quasar. Eighty battleships: thirty-two Monarchs, and thirty-seven Tyrants, one fairly old Usurper and ten Meresh of Swarm design. Four hundred seventy cruisers, of which one hundred ninety are heavy. One thousand two hundred destroyers, primarily of Swarm construction. Seven Tria landing ships, but none are fully stocked — the Alpha Iseyek sustained losses in my war on the Blue House. And one thousand seven hundred frigates: Pyros and Warhawks, approximately half and half. All in all, that's approximately three and a half thousand starships."

  The Joint Chiefs representative gave a somehow nervous chuckle, said something like, "I told you, no rush," to some people off screen, then explained the reason for his reaction:

  "The Seventh Imperial Strike Fleet, reinforced by two squadrons of light ships, has received a mission to move out to capt
ure the Unatari State ships, stop you and, in case of resistance, to eliminate you. They are waiting for you in the Timocha system, next on your path. Anyway, this fleet contains twelve battleships, sixty heavy cruisers and one hundred twenty light, plus a bunch of smaller-class ships, two thousand in total. The Joint Chiefs command thought that should be enough. It's very good that the situation was resolved to our mutual satisfaction, and no catastrophes happened."

  "I have never had any intention of doing battle with Imperial ships. But in the case of aggression from the Seventh Strike Fleet, we would have wiped the floor with them, not even particularly noting resistance."

  "I don't doubt that, Crown Prince. Now that fleet will have a new mission: to accompany the Unatari State ships out of the Imperial Core, then follow them into Sector Seven. If the information about Duchess Violetta being party to a conspiracy against the Empire is confirmed, the Imperial Fleet must arrest the traitor. And I greatly hope that the Unatari ships will help in that endeavor. All the same, the movement of such a great number of starships must be kept secret from the Antagonists. I will give orders to that effect, and the information about the Seventh Strike Fleet and Unatari Fleet's movement will not leak."

  Before the Joint Chiefs representative managed to sign off, I got another long-distance call. As soon as I realized who wanted to talk to me, I cringed in disgust, feeling like putting the "voice of the Triumvirate" right through to Miya. But still, I held back my emotions and accepted the call.

  Albert royl Timur ton Akad, Count of the Gold House, Official Voice of the Triumvirate

  Age: 69 years

  Race: Human

  Gender: Male

  Class: Aristocrat/Mystic

  Achievements: Playboy, Worthless Diplomat, Despised by Humanity, Steamrolled, Pedal-Powered Tool

  Fame: +5

  Standing: -644

  It took me a great deal of effort not to laugh, looking at all the weight my reply had stacked on the Count. With such a horrible standing, he probably wasn't even allowed to use the public restroom, which was to say nothing of aristocratic councils and serious meetings. It was no surprise that the Blue House head had refused to talk with such a vile cur!

  But some learn nothing from fate. From his first words, Count Albert threw himself on me with reproach, accusing me in sharp terms of breaking our agreement. I didn't think I had — I ended the war with the Blue House in just five days, in accordance with my understanding with the Antagonists, and had every right to the territories I'd gained in that war. But I didn't justify myself before this obnoxious boor and ordered the Count transferred to the Red Queen.

  * * *

  "Your Highness, Admiral Peres ton Mesfelle-Tesse, Seventh Strike Fleet Commander, has arrived to Joan the Fatty and asks that you see him."

  I pulled away from my discussion with the admirals of the united fleet. In the center of the room was a huge hologram depicting the part of the galaxy known to humanity with a web of transport lines and markers for all known fleets. I turned sharply to the officer who'd come to talk to me. For some reason, he went pale and swallowed his spit, but I answered with a good-hearted smile:

  "Why would I refuse a guest, if he's asking so politely? Take the admiral here to the fleet control headquarters. But, colleagues, take the Imperial fleet off the map first. There's no reason to show that we're tracking them. And darken all Unatari space, because that also has markers guests shouldn't see."

  "Does Your Highness mean the Queen that’s under repair?" clarified Admiral Kiro Sabuto.

  "Not only that. There's also the Mammoth, which is nearly ready, and a string of super-heavy ships in Uvi and Dekeye. And our unfinished battleship fleet, which we cannot receive the heavy cannon installations for. It's also quite important not to tell them about the fact two former Blue House fleets are missing. Just think, it’s been two whole weeks since we’ve heard anything from fifteen hundred ships that should belong to us! If one of our allies finds out, we'll be laughed out of town!"

  The disappearance of the Blue House ships had become the mystery of the century. Two huge fleets with a total of fifteen hundred ships had just disappeared in the infinity of space! When Mark royl Uvar ton Miro, during the negotiations with me, complained that his ships had disappeared, I just laughed to myself, considering it an aftereffect of the chaos afoot in the Blue House. But now, in Mark's place, I didn't know what to think about the matter. Every last system of Perimeter Sectors Nine, Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen were now under my control. Of the forty-seven factions in the Blue House civil war, forty-five had recognized me as their rightful ruler.

  Both of those who'd refused to lay down their weapons were armed religious fanatic groups, who'd captured one of the planets in Sector Thirteen and were using terror to propagate their rather unusual beliefs. Both extremist groups were, basically, different branches of the same religion, which denied the very possibility of interstellar flight, the existence of people outside of that particular planet and the existence of other cosmic races. Their theologians asserted that signals from outer space were mystification created by the competing confession to spread chaos and doubt among their flock. For obvious reasons, the two missing fleets were definitely not connected with those religious groups. My orbital bombers and Alpha Iseyek landing troops, meanwhile, were going to put an end to their theological debate soon and get their brains back in place.

  Admiral Peres ton Mesfelle-Tesse was a gray-haired, but quite active old man, with a long thick, white beard. He looked a lot like Santa Claus, dressed in a space fleet uniform. Despite his ninety years of age, the strict military bearing and proud poise of the admiral could be envied by younger officers. The gallant military man's whole chest was weighed down with a great many ribbons and medals. It made a great effect, although I immediately saw that most of the medals had been awarded to the fleet leader for years served or in honor of commemoratory dates. Along with the admiral, there came a large group of Seventh Strike Fleet senior officers: the captains of all twelve battleships and a few senior tactics officers.

  "Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle, allow me to express my great respect to your Highness!" the old man said with a slight bow, the gesture repeated synchronically by all his subordinates. "You turned out absolutely right, Your Highness. The Throne World has confirmed what you said about the Antagonists' plans to create a Grand Duchy. Our agents have determined that, in forty minutes, there will be a grand address of the heads of the three Great Houses, in which they will announce the departure of the Green and Purple Houses from the Empire!"

  It was not news to me, I already knew it. But a gasp of amazement rolled over many of the officers. Meanwhile, the old admiral continued:

  "I have received an official dispatch from the Joint Chiefs saying the Empire will join the war against the separatists immediately after they announce their secession. As you know, Crown Prince, my fleet has a special mission to arrest the head of the conspirators Crown Princess Violetta royl Inoky ton Mesfelle-Damir. According to our recon data, the insurgent Princess is now located in the Damir system in Sector Seven. That's just one and a half days from here, so I request that Your Highness aid me in this mission."

  He wanted to arrest my twin sister? Naive... It wasn't that I was against it. More likely I was in favor, but the gallant military man's plans seemed nearly impossible to me. But anything was possible, especially if he acted suddenly. I stood from the armchair and walked closer to the hologram.

  "Zoom in on Sector Seven! Center on the Forepost-10 System! Commander, come out here to the viewing platform, let's look over your suggestion together, based on the forces of all players represented in the region."

  The admiral tried very hard not to show any emotion on his face, but the old man did a bad job of it. He made quite a bad actor. The fleet leader's eyes were just burning in agitation when he saw the detailed interactive tactical map, which showed in real time the location and movement of all fleets, and even lone ships. After letting the
admiral admire the crucial and accurate tool, I walked over to the console and started pointing and commenting on the markers on screen:

  "Here is the Forepost-10 system with an uninhabitable warp beacon, which is where we are now. Here is the next system in our route, Khell, a local transport node that connects four star systems: Forepost-10, Anti, Nayal and Uvara. That is where the large Purple House fleet is now located. It contains fifteen hundred ships among which there are thirty battleships. That fleet is loyal to Duchess Violetta and is tightly blocking the exit from the Nayal-Veyerde corridor, which is where seventy ships of Perimeter Sector Seven Fleet are trapped, along with my daughter, Crown Princess Joan. Another large Purple House fleet of one thousand ships is in the next system, Anti, blocking the path to the Damir system, where the 'ice princess' is now. With Duchess Violetta in Damir is her personal fleet of three hundred ships. Another three hundred ships are in Uvara, that is the part of the Perimeter Sector Seven Fleet loyal to the new authorities. Also in Uvara is my Perimeter Sector Eight Fleet of five hundred ships, recharging energy for the jump to Khell under the command of Space Major Nicole ton Savoia."

  "So then, we have a two-to one ship advantage!!!" the old admiral crowed, getting worked up. "Six thousand starships against three thousand Antagonists! What are we waiting for, Crown Prince?! We need to attack immediately!!!"

  I didn't go finding fault in the word 'we,' although the goals of the Unatari State and the Empire didn't fully coincide, and our fleets had different goals in this military adventure. Instead of that, I turned to the commander and asked him, looking the old man right in the eyes:

  "Admiral Peres, you have many years of wisdom behind you. Do you really think our enemies stupid enough to have brought two thousand eight hundred ships to this key point in our highly important political stand-off, then split them into three groups? Sure, the Purple House doesn't have much in the way of personal forces, but there are several Green House fleets in their space now, amounting to a total of more than six thousand starships. Why aren't they here in Khell? The Purple House could place five times more forces at this key point, but they haven't. Why? The way they're sitting, it's like they're inviting us to Khell. Why do they want that? We must be missing something. What is it?"