by Kal Spriggs
Lucius straightened and saluted, “Sir, it’s a pleasure to see you.”
The old man returned the salute, “And you. I’m glad you got past the troubles that… took you away from the Academy.”
Lucius winced a bit, “I think that is in the past now, though it’s been an issue with some officers since.”
Alanis spoke and the bitterness in her voice told everyone in earshot exactly what she thought, “Those bastards kept you from rising in rank for the past ten years, Lucius.”
“Past is past.” Lucius said. He had no desire to speak ill of the dead.
“It is... Baron.” The Emperor spoke, “As the senior remaining officer, I’m promoting you to Admiral, effective immediately.”
Lucius shook his head, “Thank you, your Highness, but… I feel that might be premature.” There was a moment of stunned silence.
“You are rejecting promotion from your Emperor?” The young man said, clearly shocked.
“No, Your Highness, I just feel…” Lucius paused to compose his thoughts. “When ordered to return to Nova Roma, I chose to disobey.”
“You couldn’t have obeyed that order,” Emperor Romulus said, “Your ship was heavily damaged.”
“Even so, your Highness…” Lucius cleared his throat, “When my ship was repaired, I made the choice not to return.”
“By then, Nova Roma had already fallen.”
Lucius nodded, “But perhaps we might have done some good. I chose to become a mercenary, then, your Highness. I chose to use a ship given to me by the Empire for my own ends.”
“Your ends made a strong force out of a handful of crew, and you dealt the Chxor a strong blow at Faraday,” the Emperor answered. “All of this is justifiable, all of this can be accepted.”
Lucius sighed, thinking of the discussion he’d had with Kandergain. He met the Emperor’s eyes, “But this, I think will not be for you.” He took a deep breath, “I refuse to use the Dreyfus Fleet to reinstate the Empire, your Highness.”
“What?!”
“Your Highness, in the Fleet, I have defended Nova Roma. I have done great things… and I have done terrible things.” Lucius shook his head, “I was there when we sacked Ghornath Prime, your Highness. I was the XO of the War Shrike when we attacked the Saragossa Republic. I’ve participated in conquests, in raids, and in defense of our worlds. I’ve done many things I’m proud of, and far too many things I know will haunt my dreams for the rest of my life.” Lucius met the eyes of the man he was sworn to serve... even as he told him that he could do so no longer, “When I made my choice to turn away from the Empire, your Highness, I made it for good. I cannot help return the Empire to power.” Lucius stared at the youth, hoping the man could understand.
“The Empire is dead, your Highness,” the rasping voice of Admiral Mund said. “The glory of it died years ago, only the shell of it died when the Chxor took Nova Roma.”
The young Emperor looked around, “So where does that leave me?”
Lucius sighed, “Your Highness, your great grandfather established a place of security for his people, it was a noble endeavor.” He shrugged, “Your grandfather was expansionist; he wanted the Empire to expand. He was impatient, and he betrayed alliances and treaties to further his ambitions.”
“And my father?”
“Your father was a man, your Highness,” Admiral Mund rasped, “a man advised by men with ambition.”
The Emperor looked between the two, “So where does that leave me?”
“Your Highness, with the power of my ships and with the Dreyfus Fleet, I will fight the Chxor, I will liberate what worlds I can.” Lucius sighed. “I may, indeed, found a new nation.” He looked away, “I won’t help you to reinstate the Empire. That dream is dead and it died for many a long time ago. I’ll give you Nova Roma back, but I’ll not conquer other worlds for you.”
The boy closed his eyes, “So, history will remember my father as a failure and me as what, exactly? A footnote? Will Nova Roma become a backwater in your new Empire, Lucius?”
“No, your Highness.” Lucius shook his head. “Nova Roma will always be great. I have confidence that you will lead it into prosperity.” He smiled, “And the fact that the Chxor have not destroyed the shipyards means Nova Roma will remain a powerful place.”
“So, Lucius, what then, is your plan?” Admiral Mund said.
Lucius pulled a data crystal out, “With Collae, Manetti, and the Garu, I’ll have sufficient forces to take the system.” He put the crystal into the computer. “I’ll leave for the rendezvous site tomorrow.”
“You trust these other allies more than us?” The Emperor asked.
“No, I don’t trust them at all, which is why I’ve… modified my plans to include your ships. I’ve also assembled personnel to back up the crews you already have in place, and maintenance teams to begin any repairs your ships need.”
“I’ve got a rather long list.” Emperor Romulus IV said sardonically. “We don’t even have functional weapons right now.”
Lucius winced. “Well, nearly sixteen thousand people will be swarming over these ships, trying to get them ready. I need you ready in less than a week, your Highness. I need this ship, and as many others as you can get combat ready.”
“Who do we fight?”
“If everything goes right, your Highness... no one.”
***
January 29, 2403 Earth Standard Time
Faraday System
Chxor Empire
Mason McGann kept up a litany of constant, monotone curses as he settled the Second Chance towards the surface of Faraday.
“What’s with you, anyway?” Lauren asked.
“There are more sensors here than there should be.” Mason snapped.
“Have we been detected?”
Mason gave her an incredulous glance, “Are you seriously asking that?”
“I’m a commando and before that I was a missile tech, not a pilot.”
Mason gave an exasperated sigh, “Well, if they’d seen us, we’d be dead. They’re bad shots, but even a miss in atmosphere, with those weapons… yeah.”
“Okay, so they don’t see us, what’s the problem?”
“The problem, honey, is this just became a one way trip.”
“What?” Lauren said. “Why?”
“My stealth systems can’t compensate for the amount of power my engines will draw, going out.” He gave a particularly savage curse as yet another sensor satellite appeared on his monitor, “It’s a damned good thing you didn’t try getting a corvette down, you’d have been taken out well before hitting the surface.”
She shrugged, “Worth the risk.”
He gave her a nasty glance, “What’s with you and death wishes, huh?”
Lauren stared out the window, “I grew up under the Chxor, Mason. They executed my brother because he asked a question in school. He was seven. They killed my mother when she started screaming obscenities at his executor. My father killed himself making a bomb in our kitchen when I was fifteen.”
Mason cleared his throat. “Sorry.”
“My world had less than a hundred thousand humans left. Before I was conscripted, they were marching people to execution pits, a thousand a day.”
Mason shut his mouth and focused on his flying. His left hand stroked the prayer beads on his belt. “We’ll reach the landing site in five minutes.”
Lauren nodded, “I’ll tell the troops to get ready.”
After she left, Mason let out a deep breath and rubbed at his eyes, “Fuck.”
***
The Second Chance settled towards a huge waterfall, and then slowly pushed through and into the large cave beyond. Mason relaxed, “We’re here. As long as no one tells the Chxor, we should be good.”
“Right. Well, we got company, already.” Lauren said, pointing at a group of ragged people that approached from out of the shadows.
“Did the Baron set this up with the locals?” Mason asked.
“No, but from what the natives s
aid, this cave’s always been a site for hiding and smuggling.” Lauren shrugged, “I’m going out.”
Mason listened to the sounds of his passengers as they moved around and shifted the cargo of weapons and ammo. He stroked the prayer beads at his waist and watched the patterns of light cast on the cave walls by the waterfall. He spoke slowly and quietly, “Do you need help?”
Lauren popped her head in, “What’s that?”
Mason cleared his voice, “Do you need help? I’ve… got some experience when it comes to killing.”
Lauren smiled. It was a feral smile, like that of a predatory cat, “I’ll never turn down help in killing Chxor.” She nodded at the group, “Come on, let’s meet the neighbors.”
Mason followed her through the ship and down the ramp.
They walked across the damp stone floor toward the ragged group of rebels. There were a handful of weapons evident, none of them military grade, except for an assault rifle carried by the leader. The leader of the group that sheltered in the cave was a tall, blond man, with cold, hard eyes. “Who are you?”
Lauren stepped forward and held out a hand, “I’m Lieutenant Lauren Kelly. I’m here to kill Chxor.”
The man smiled and took her hand, “Well, what do you know? So am I.”
***
February 2, 2403 Earth Standard Time
Zeta Proxima System
Colonial Republic Space
“You’re either a historian with a sense of irony or a tactical genius.” Kandergain muttered over Lucius’ shoulder as arrived on the bridge.
He looked up at her, “Excuse me?”
“You just happened to pick Zeta Tau and Alpha Seven as your base, which has rapid transit to Zeta Proxima,” Kandergain said. “Which in turn has quick transit through shadow space to Faraday. Either that, or you were thinking of the PCRA attack on the convoy from Alpha Seven. They just happened to stage that here, as well, I believe. First successful strike against the might of Amalgamated Worlds. Seeking a bit of that luck? Or was it just the opportune transit time?”
“Can’t I do both?” Lucius smiled slightly, “Though I’d hardly consider the butchery of that convoy a victory, I do feel that launching our first strike from here may be slightly auspicious.” He shrugged, “I’ll take what advantages I can.”
Kandergain only nodded, then took her new seat there on the bridge. She’d suggested a spot at navigation and Lucius made room for her there. She looked odd, dressed in her rugged civilian dress amongst the uniforms of the crew.
Lucius rapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. He mentally ticked away the seconds. The War Shrike and the Gebneyr along with the converted fighter carrier Success sat with weapons, engines, and shields online and active. He didn’t really expect any of his allies to pounce in and attack directly.
He just couldn't trust that they wouldn’t.
“I’m surprised no one was here waiting for us yesterday, sir,” Anthony Doko said.
Lucius nodded, “I honestly expected it.”
“Well, just as well—“
“Multiple contacts, Baron!” Lieutenant Palmer cried, “A lot of ‘em too!” There was a long pause, “Looks like a Desperado battleship and a couple Independence-class light cruisers.”
Lucius let out a sigh, “Admiral Mannetti then... and that would be the Peregrine.”
Captain Doko grimaced, “I wish there’d been some way to stop her.”
Lucius shook his head, “If we had, we wouldn’t have her support now. We need the Peregrine and otherwise the Chxor probably would have destroyed her by now.” It felt good, somehow, to know that the War Shrike still had a sister ship left, even if it was in the dubious hands of a traitorous pirate.
Lucius opened a link to the other ship, “Lady Kale, I’m glad you accepted my invitation.”
“It was so graciously offered, I could do nothing but accept, darling. When do we leave?” Kandergain rolled her eyes and Captain Doko made a gagging gesture.
“I’ll do a briefing once we have all our companions. We should be expecting Admiral Collae as well as some Garu vessels soon.”
“Oh, marvelous, I do so love working with… experienced partners.”
Lucius managed to say something gracious before he cut the link. “Is she just out of practice, or has she always been that annoying?”
Captain Doko frowned, “She’s pretty nasty to those she doesn’t need to suck up to, trust me sir.”
“Oh, I believe you.” Lucius said. He fingered the scar on his chest.
“Sir, I got 'nother bunch emerging from shadow.” Lieutenant Palmer said. “Looks like them no-mads.” A half dozen ships appeared on the screens. They were all cruiser sized, but Lucius knew that much of their hulls consisted of cargo and living space. The Garu ships would be formidable, but not as dangerous as true warships their size.
Before Lucius could open a link, Lieutenant Palmer forwarded him one from the Garu. “Baron Lucius, I see that your other allies have arrived. When do we discuss terms?” The dark haired man still wore his purple scarf, and the same bright gold hoop earrings.
“As soon as Admiral Collae gets here, I’ll brief everyone, and we can discuss division of spoils.” Lucius answered.
“Understood. Garu out.”
They waited several hours before the last group of contacts emerged. Admiral Collae’s force emerged in tight formation, two destroyers flanking the light cruiser, with the carrier positioned to the rear. “Looks like an Independence cruiser for Collae’s flagship, sir. She’s pretty heavily modified, though.” Lieutenant Palmer paused a moment, “He’s definitely changed out the weapons systems at least.”
“Admiral Collae,” Lucius began, “Glad—”
“Save the greetings for someone who cares,” Collae’s voice was gruff. “Looks like everyone else is here. Let’s hear your plan, and haggle on the price.”
Lucius smiled slightly, “Of course, Admiral. Give me a moment to set up a conference call, and we’ll begin.” He paused a moment, “I’m not seeing Mistress Blanc.”
“She arrived earlier.”
“Sir, I’ve got a new contact.” Lieutenant Palmer said, “It’s, well, she’s…” He broke off and brought up the icon. The previously stealthed battlecruiser lay only three thousand kilometers behind the War Shrike, easily in striking distance.
He shot a dark glance at Kandergain.
She shrugged, “I’m not omniscient.”
“Obviously,” Lucius said. “Lets hope our insurance policy works out.”
***
“…consists of the plan.” Lucius said.
“That’s it?” Admiral Collae shook his head, his dark eyes cold. “At least you won’t be around afterward to take the blame for failure.”
“It does lack… options.” Admiral Mannetti said. “If one part of the plan fails—“
“Then the entire plan will fail.” Lucius said, “Yes, I know. But we’ve limited resources, and I’m sure, none of you want to split the rewards with any more partners.”
“Speaking of which… Lucius, we haven’t yet agreed on appropriate division of wealth.” Admiral Mannetti said, her voice sultry. “I believe the most fair—”
“The only way to do it is equal shares for all involved parties,” the Garu leader said. “Each of us gets a quarter of the vessels.”
Admiral Mannetti made a grimace of distaste, “That is hardly equitable, considering the firepower some people have brought. My own force is considerably—“
“Equal shares is acceptable.” Admiral Collae growled. “All four of us will take similar risks.” A slight flicker of annoyance crossed Admiral Mannetti’s face, “If we argue over relative worth of ships, my crews are better trained than your own and Mistress Blanc’s ship, which I bring, will perform a task that no one else can match.”
“My proposal is that there be five equal shares,” Lucius began. “One for each of us, and one for the Faraday colony, since—”
“I don’t think so,” Ad
miral Collae snapped, “You’re going to control that planet when we finish here and that would mean you get two fifths of the Dreyfus Fleet.”
Lucius let out a breath, “That’s not my intention at all—”
“I’m sure it isn’t darling.” Admiral Mannetti said, “But perhaps cutting them in for part of the fleet is a bit generous. After all, what have they done so far without our help?”
Lucius stared at her. He wondered at her callous nature, if she felt nothing for the thousands dying even now under Chxor rule. “They’re going to be seizing the planetary defenses—”
“And they’ll be rewarded with their freedom from the Chxor,” Admiral Collae said, his gravelly voice stern, “This is not a charity case, Baron. None of us are naïve. Let us get on with the bargaining.”
“The Garu people have little interest in warships, but we want first pick of the transports and cargo ships,” the spokesman for the nomads said.
“First pick?” Admiral Mannetti’s eyes narrowed, “I thought we were going with equal shares, split down the middle.”
“We forgo any rights to warships, we only want ships with cargo capacity or construction capabilities.” The Garu leader said, “You three may divide the warships equally, but we must receive three quarters of all transport craft in return.”
“Sounds reasonable enough,” Lucius said. Neither of the others argued. He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign.
“What about any Chxor ships we capture?” Collae asked, “How do we divide those?”
“More straightforward with that,” Lucius said, “Whatever group receives the surrender, or whose troops seize a vessel retains it. They can then trade or bargain with those ships as they see fit.” He scanned the faces, “Lady Kale, you don’t like that?”
Admiral Mannetti frowned, “That’s… not going to work well for those of us without Marines available.”
“I thought you were heavy on boarding crews?” Lucius asked, eyes narrowing.
“Yes, quite.” She smiled, “But still, I think you will have the advantage, certainly with the course of your plan.” She shot a glance over at Admiral Collae, who maintained a stone-faced silence. “You will be in position to deploy your own boarding parties better than us. And you’ve given the Garu a tasking that specifically will aide them the capture of ships.”
