"What's wrong, Georg? You're looking at me like you've never seen me before!" Duchess Katerina ton Unatari tore me out of the contemplative state.
Should I tell her about my suspicions or not? On the one hand, it would be dumb to admit my doubts and fears to the very person they applied to. But on the other hand... everyone needs at least one person they can trust in this life, otherwise they’d become paranoid in short order. So, I honestly told my cousin my confusion.
Standing change. Katerina ton Unatari's opinion of you has improved.
Katerina ton Unatari's present opinion of you: +87 (completely trusting)
"Thank you for your faith, cousin. It's good that you honestly shared your worrying thoughts. I cannot prove right now that I have never spoken with the Alien Queen. But I swear to you that I did not do it and am prepared to undergo Truth Seeker testing at any time. But that is an interesting little brain teaser. That means you're saying, someone who was there for the attack on the Queen once negotiated with the Aliens... I'll think over the riddle. But as for your standing, that really is strange..."
Katerina considered it and even closed her eyes for thirty seconds, then looked at me with her eyes wide in surprise and said in agitation:
"Georg, this is the first time I've ever seen something like this! The Emperor's allies simply do not have a high enough vote percentage to make negative changes to your standing! Cousin, your fame and standing are too high, so no less than two thirds of aristocrats must agree with August's initiative to declare you a criminal. But that is not happening, because you still have plenty of allies in the Empire! And to deprive a Crown Prince of his title, from what I've seen, you need practically unanimous approval of the other Imperial aristocrats!"
"It looks like August tripped into a puddle then?" I suggested with a smile. "The citizens of the Empire didn't believe the accusations against me?"
"Or they did, but they thought that Crown Prince Georg had finally stopped blindly obeying the Emperor and launched his own political game," Katerina chuckled.
"It's about time, Georg! It's been two years now since you promised to take me to the Throne World and show me all the beautiful sights. I bought outfits just for the purpose long ago, and our excursion just keeps getting pushed back. Everyone knows that a Crown Prince's word is sacred. I say, if you need to overthrow the Emperor to fulfill your promise, do it!"
It wasn't hard to guess who said that: Princess Astra royl Veyerde. Katerina and I exchanged surprised glances.
Astra with her strange and frequently childlike behavior was hard to take seriously. I quite often forgot she was in the room and, normally, my favorite didn't try to jump into serious conversations about politics. So, hearing the Princess speak on substantive issues, I felt very thrown off and spent a long time rooting in my memory to remember if any other serious conversations had been had in her presence.
"Well, your little doll is right," Katerina said in contemplation. "The Emperor's political star is setting inexorably. He is losing state power, strength and authority. And, everyone understands perfectly that August is of more than advanced age, and the Empire will need a new ruler, if not today, then tomorrow. What’s more, there aren't too many figures on the political stage of first-order greatness — you, Duke Amelius ton Lavaelle and your sister Duchess Violetta royl Mesfelle-Damir. Eventually, you'll have to find the decisiveness to officially declare that which has been spoken of in whispers for so long by aristocrats in the whole Empire..."
My first assistant's speech was crudely interrupted by a siren on the starship and intercom message:
"Combat alert! A warp beacon has appeared in our system!!!"
* * *
The reigning atmosphere in the fleet headquarters was noisy and charged, but more celebratory than worried. Everyone had already realized that the enemy had committed a brutish error and jumped right into our trap. As soon as I arrived, the officers crowding around my assistants hurried to get back to their seats. Nicole ton Savoia jumped out of my fleet commander seat and hurried to make a report:
"Your Highness, you were completely right: the enemy was tracking us. Demyen royl Lavaelle's fleet managed to jump to Forepost-10, despite the warp beacon there being off. Crown Prince Georg, I beg the deepest apology for mistrusting you."
And although it wasn't in the presence of all the staff officers, just in a narrow circle of the commander and three assistants, Baroness Nicole ton Savoia really had dared to doubt my decision to take the fleet out of the Khell system before the ships of the Grand Duchy fleet restored enough energy for another warp jump. My assistant thought we had to give the chance for the fleet following us to enter the trap, and turn on the Forepost-10 warp beacon for a minute or two to lure them, as if by accident. But I came out categorically against that idea. It was too obvious. The enemy wouldn't believe we'd be so reckless, which would put them on guard.
What was more, earlier in our conversation, Demyen royl Lavaelle had bragged of his ability to wipe out my ships either in the Khell or Forepost-10 system, which spoke to his being in possession of a trump card of some kind. And also, my mother had confirmed that she was tracking the movement of the Unatari fleet. All that pointed to there being a cloaked mobile-warp-beacon ship from the Aliens in the Forepost-10 system, and maybe more than one. This was the very conclusion I led Nicole to then, but my assistant had not changed her opinion. Now though, the space major was expressing sincere regret and a preparedness to undergo punishment for disputing her commander's orders. I rushed to reassure the uncommonly talented girl:
"Nicole, you did exactly right, telling me your questions and remarks. I don't have any need for subjects that blindly believe whatever they are told. A certain share of healthy skepticism and your own opinion simply must be present. On that, I suggest we end this topic and return to the present situation in space."
"Yes, Your Highness. The mobile beacon ship held the portal open for more than four minutes. That time was easily enough for our frigates to reach the little bugger and get it held down tight. We didn't destroy it, just as you ordered. But it has so many stasis webs and warp disruptors on it that the ship is technically unable to move. Assault groups have already been sent out to capture the ship."
"Great! Bionica, how are things going with you? Did you manage to get in touch with the androids of the Grand Duchy fleet to gather information on our enemy?"
"My Prince, the mission could only be partially completed," the synthetic blonde replied, lowering her head, clearly unhappy with herself. "There are androids loyal to me on Grand Duchy ships, but not many. The vast majority of anthropomorphic robots there were flashed by the Green House Security Service. Their unique characteristics were wiped, and their behavioral settings were reset to default. The developers found and eliminated some of the programming loopholes we used to secretly communicate and coordinate our actions. I had to take immediate action as not to be exposed. I did figure out the enemy fleet's composition, though. I also learned the code tablets by which Grand Duchy ships communicate with the Aliens. But, I'm afraid, that is all I managed to get. I wouldn't be able to repeat the sabotage of dumping water and destroying food reserves, or get access to the cannons, thrusters and arsenals on the enemy ships."
"Calm down, Bionica, I didn't tell you to get me an automatic win button. But it would be quite interesting to have a look at the enemy fleet composition. First of all, I'm interested in the question of whether Demyen royl Lavaelle still has mobile warp beacon ships, and where they are located."
The light blonde android beauty answered momentarily:
"My Prince, the enemy has another such frigate in the Khell system. Although the Grand Duchy Fleet Commander placed a garrison of thirty thousand former Purple House soldiers on the Khell station, he also left himself another secret way out. It would seem he doesn't trust his new allies and is afraid they will betray him. Shall I order the Alien frigate to leave the system?"
Was that seriously possible?! I tried not t
o show my surprise, although there was plenty to be elated about here. Just a second ago, I had made an off-hand remark about an automatic win button. What Bionica had just offered was even closer to that than what she had been unable to deliver.
"Yes, send along an order for the Alien frigate to leave to Nayal. Or wait... is there a code for 'dock at station?' Great! Then tell it to dock at the Khell station. Max Gregor, in five minutes, set off the thermonuclear mine placed on the station. We've already evacuated all civilians, and this will be a good lesson to our enemy. They'll live to regret going to war with us a million times over!!!"
* * *
There they are! From the spy satellite camera, I could see the enemy's armada of many thousand ships come out of warp jump. Demyen royl Amelius ton Lavaelle's fleet stretched on for a few thousand miles.
"Crown Prince Georg, should I call them?" Nicole ton Savoia inquired, but I shook my head in the negative.
"It's too early. Now, they'll be scanning near space, sending out recon frigates to the far planets and asteroid fields, and basically scrambling to find my ships. After all, my opponent is certain that I had nowhere to run from his trap, and that victory is already practically in his hands. He doesn’t know about Mechanoids though, or our ships in the Forepost-9 system and thinks he has us backed into a corner. Let the full depth of the trouble he's gotten himself into reach the former Crown Prince. We'll give him forty minutes. I bet that is more than enough time for him to figure everything out."
The Grand Duchy Fleet Commander figured it all out much faster, though. Just seventeen minutes later, he sent me a long-distance call request. The former Crown Prince didn't look quite as courageous and pompous as before but still, Demyen royl Amelius ton Lavaelle was trying to threaten, bluff and negotiate, clearly not yet having grasped the magnitude of the trap I'd led him into. I had to put that jackass in his place:
"Demyen, the reason you do not see the Khell system warp beacon has nothing to do with temporary technical difficulties. I just blew up the Khell space station together with your garrison and the Alien frigate docked at it. Yes, it was harsh, but it was the only way to protect the millions of inhabitants of the planet Khell-1 from the ruthless hordes of Aliens you've led into human space."
"Crown Prince Georg, you don't understand..." my opponent tried to argue, but I cut him off sharply, raising my voice to a shout:
"I understand perfectly!!! I cannot find a single justification for your treachery! You in the Grand Duchy are still under the naive impression that you can control the Alien ships? They'll only obey your orders as long as doing so is beneficial for them! Try to find a code in the communication table under your hand that stands for: 'Put down your weapons and surrender.' Oh, there isn't one? Well, how about: 'cease fire,' 'fall back,' or 'retreat?' Not there either? What a shame... So then, how were you planning to stop the genocide of humanity in the Khell system?"
The man went silent, turned away from the camera, and asked his assistants to check my words. And while Demyen was waiting for an answer, I continued my invective:
"In order to avoid any misunderstandings from the get-go, I'll be as frank as I can. In a few minutes, I'm planning to blow up the Forepost-9 warp beacon, which is where we are now. When I do that, your fleet will be forever deprived of any method of communicating with other star systems inhabited by intelligent races. Your calls for help will take many years to get anywhere, and whoever does finally receive them will have no way to help you. For my part, I'll make sure the fact of a deadly Alien armada being locked up in the Forepost-10 system is recorded in every star atlas from here on out, to make sure not a single warp beacon will ever appear in jump radius from your fleet. So, if you have any last words for your father, any other relatives, or humanity in general, say them right now, and I will relay your message. You have my word as a Crown Prince!"
"Crown Prince Georg, you will not do that!" But now, I could read sheer terror on the face of the Grand Duchy Fleet Commander. "I am prepared to surrender! Tell me your terms! I swear honestly, I will fulfill every one!"
Demyen royl Lavaelle collapsed onto one knee and folded his hands in a gesture of prayer. But, I just shook my head in the negative:
"Once upon a time, you promised to never again go to war with me. You swore by your title and aristocratic honor. And now, Demyen, I know that you have no honor, so I have no faith in your words. And also, how can you promise that the Aliens in your fleet will surrender, if you don't even have a way to give them such a command?! It looks like you're lying again. What kind of aristocrat and officer are you, if you can bring shame so easily on yourself and make promises you have no intention of keeping! You don't inspire pity in me, just detestation and scorn. To be honest, I could have killed you in the last system. My wife Miya offered to do so. But it would have been too easy and quick a death for you. No, you must have enough time to think over your utterly worthless life. In the memory of your descendants, you will remain a commander who sold himself to an enemy of humanity and twice got caught in the exact same trap..."
"No! I am no traitor to my species! My father ordered me to include the Alien starships in my fleet. He's the one who gave me the signal codes to control their ships. Tell my father... No, tell all people everywhere that I still had enough honor to avoid shame!"
What happened next came very fast. Without even standing to his feet, Demyen pulled a laser pistol from the holster on his belt and placed it to his forehead. With a bright flash, the Crown Prince's lifeless body collapsed onto the cold floor.
"Wow, cousin, you're really good at making people go white hot..." said Katerina, providing dismayed commentary on the tragic incident after the initial shock had passed. "Sometimes, after talking with you, I want to either hang myself or whack you on the head with something heavy. But why, I ask, did you have to force Demyen to commit suicide?! Of course, he was an unreliable and rotten person, I won’t argue with that. But at least let him tell us about the alliance with the Aliens or share some of their technologies first... Alright, why worry? It's over now. Should I end the call?"
"Wait, don't!!!" on the screen next to the commander's corpse there appeared a fairly old red-haired military man in a uniform with the gold patches of a senior officer. I didn’t recognize him.
Kevin ton Moldier, Grand Duchy Fleet Admiral
Age: 68
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Class: Military/Aristocrat
Achievements: Former Perimeter Sector Eighteen Fleet Commander, awarded medals and orders for participation in interspecies conflicts (complete list of medals can be seen in Attachments)
Fame: +4
Standing: +14
Sector Eighteen? But that was... the Gold House! Based on what happened next, Katerina ton Unatari had also noticed that:
"So, we finally see an Antagonist. I was worried we would just get more marionettes, but here we have a puppet master."
"Antagonist?" the admiral asked me from the screen, not having arrived at what my advisor and I were referring to. "Ah! You're talking about me. Your Highness, I ask you to forgive me for my drowsiness and ignorance. This is my first time leaving Gold House space, and I still am not familiar with the local terminology and idiomatic expressions. As a matter of fact, we call First Imperial Fleet Commander August royl Akad and his conspirators the Antagonists, after his sabotage two centuries ago against his rightful liege, splitting the unified human Empire..."
"Admiral, that is neither here nor there!" Duchess Katerina replied, sharply interrupting the verbose commander. "Do you have any substantive information, or are you just drawing out time, trying to find a way out of the trap for you and your allies, the enemies of humanity?"
The man on screen went crimson and clenched his teeth, seemingly barely able to hold back sharp words. But he quickly got himself together and answered in an intentional, steady voice:
"Duchess, I've been fighting all my life, defending the interests of the human race. No o
ne can accuse me of betraying mankind! I'll admit, it makes me uncomfortable to be in the presence of such a huge number of Alien ships, but they were brought in by the rulers of the Grand Duchy. The Gold House Third Expeditionary Fleet joined this armada two days ago. We were told they were our new allies. Just like the Green and Purple Houses, who had also provided ships for our unified Grand Duchy fleet."
But here, I did not agree with Admiral Kevin ton Moldier grouping all these forces together. To my eye, they were fundamentally different:
"There's an enormous difference between these allies. No matter how strained the relationship between August royl Akad and his sister Eleonora royl Akad, or the Empire and the Great Houses, or certain military leaders and aristocrats, in the end, they were all fighting for the advancement of the human race. The Aliens, though, are trying to erase humankind and all other space-faring races from the star map. I have seen with my own eyes planets that were entirely depopulated by the Aliens, I have seen the ruins of the civilizations they've destroyed. You must agree, Admiral, that such 'allies' look somewhat strange in your fleet."
The red-headed Admiral lowered his head, shook it and said, now all the less confident:
"I have spoken with Green House officers and know about the... let's say... difficult relationship between humanity and the Aliens. I know about the destruction of the Red House and the other battles between our species, but I swear on my head that neither I nor my subjects have anything to do with those bloody events! I am also aware of the leading role played by Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle in turning back the Alien invasion. To be perfectly honest, Your Highness, I couldn’t even believe it at first. I remember seeing you in the palace of the Minor Capital, and you made quite a singular impression..."
A Game With No Rules (Perimeter Defense Book #4) LitRPG Series Page 24
