Wraithkin (The Kin Wars Saga Book 1)

by Jason Cordova

  Darius had been to Gran Via many times as a boy, according to his cover story, so he did his best not to seem overawed by the wonder and splendor or the structure. Andrew, however, had only seen the capitol in pictures and in the media; it was very hard not to gawk.

  One thing he recalled hearing was the pictures never truly depicted the enormity of the compound. The place was both a residence and a veritable fortress, with armed guards patrolling the perimeter and anti-air laser emplacements everywhere. Near the front entrance was a small line of people waiting to get inside to see the grand palace and the royal residence.

  His boss, however, had other plans. He motioned for Darius to follow him to a smaller side entrance, where screen detectors stood on both sides. Armed men with cold looks watched them carefully as they stepped inside the small area between the screens. A quick sniff by the detectors and the Laird was through, followed closely by Darius. The aide looked back over his shoulder at the guards.

  “I’ve never met a Wraith before,” he admitted to his boss. The Senator scoffed.

  “That wasn’t a Wraith,” he said. “Though they were Wraiths, once. Now? Those are something far more dangerous. Call themselves Darklings. Arrogant, if you ask me.”

  The duo were met by a second security screen before they could enter a nondescript building on the edge of the compound. Darius nearly complained about the guard confiscating his datapad, but bit it off when he looked into the eyes of the guard. The man nodded and motioned for him to pass.

  “Milord?”

  “Don’t worry about the datapad, Darius,” Laird McCarroll said as they stepped inside. “They’ll take it apart and check it for bombs. You’ll get it back when we meet with the Emperor.”

  “I hope they don’t try to look at the files inside. Too many failed attempts and it’ll wipe itself.”

  “They’re Imperfects, Darius,” the Laird reminded him. “How much initiative can they really show?”

  Darius nodded and said nothing more as they were led to a small room. Inside, waiting for them, was the Justice of the Service.

  Vijay stood and shook the Laird’s hand. “You have no idea how many favors I had to call in to arrange for you to be here.”

  “I truly appreciate it,” the Laird said warmly. “How is his mood?”

  “It’s foul, as expected,” the Justice answered. “He just lost twenty percent of his Wraith Corps, as well as the Fifth Fleet. To be honest with you, I think the loss of the Wraiths angers him more.”

  “He always had a strange affinity for those damned Imperfects,” Christophe shook his head. “It’s quite unbecoming, really.”

  “I hear a rumor the young Representative from Belleza Sutil is giving a speech in three days regarding the austerity plans Senator Duncan is supporting,” the Justice said as they sat down in the plush, comfortable chairs. A small side door opened, and a woman entered the small room. She quickly refreshed the coffee urn in the corner before bustling out, closing the door carefully behind her.

  “I’m truly looking forward to hearing his proposal,” the Laird admitted. “Duncan swears he’s in his pocket, but I have a nagging sense of doubt.”

  “I seriously doubt a newly-elected representative is going to ruin his risk of reelection so soon after taking office by increasing taxes on the populace of his planet,” the Justice said. “Coffee?”

  “No, thank you,” the Laird declined. “I’ve heard it said that sometimes, if the Emperor wants to end an audience quickly, he’d sabotage it by putting a diuretic into the coffee. A man’s bladder, in a meeting, is his greatest weakness.”

  “I’m glad I don’t like coffee then,” the Justice harrumphed and leaned back into the chair. The small door opened again and the woman returned, Darius’s datapad in hand. She gave it to Darius and left as quickly as she had arrived.

  “The servants here are...prompt,” Darius observed.

  “That they are,” Vijay agreed. “The amount of screening which goes into the job of hiring with this house demands only the best of the best apply. And even then, not all of them are good enough.”

  “And I thought getting hired on in the Laird’s family was tough,” Darius said. The Laird looked over at him and smiled.

  “My father was very strict in his hiring methods,” the Laird said. “Three independent background checks were necessary. You were lucky, Darius, that your family connections helped. Dame Hastings spoke most highly of her bastard grandson.”

  Darius blinked. “That’s...interesting. I thought she was invalid and bedridden.”

  “Oh, she is,” the Laird nodded. “But she still talks, though it’s often nonsensical and meaningless. She mentions you, though, quite often. Wishes you would come visit.”

  “Considering my...upbringing, milord, I’m surprised she would be willing to meet me at all.”

  “I agree with you there,” the Laird replied. “But without you, the Hastings would be a dead house. Something to look forward to, should you pursue the matter in court.”

  “I...might consider it, milord,” Darius allowed. He doubted he would ever set foot in Dame Hasting’s house, but the Laird didn’t need to know that.

  The antechamber doors opened and a butler, dressed in the royal family colors of black and red, beckoned for them to enter. The three stood and Darius, clutching his datapad tightly, followed closely behind the two other men.

  “Your Majesty, may I present the esteemed Justice of the Service, the High Lord of the Fleet, Admiral Vijay Rankapurta, and Laird Christophe McCarroll of the High. Gentlemen, may I present His Imperial Majesty, Lord of Law and Justice, Emperor of the Dominion of Man, Emperor Solomon the Fourth,” the butler announced. The Laird, the Justice and Darius all dropped to one knee as they reached the edge of the red carpet.

  “Rise,” the Emperor commanded and Darius did so, following the lead of his boss. He glanced at the Emperor of the Dominion and was surprised to see him dressed in comfortable slacks and shirt, not the ornate trappings he had expected his Emperor to be wearing.

  He was also seated in a regular chair, not his throne. Darius glanced around, but other than the four guards in the room, he could see no waiting attendants, nor any sign of the vast army of aides who normally assisted with the everyday dealings of the Emperor.

  The Emperor chuckled. “It seems your aide is a bit confused, Laird. He’s undoubtedly looking for my aides. I have an eidetic memory, young man. For small, personal meetings such as this, I have no need for an excess of aides.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Darius bowed his head. “Of course.”

  “Now that I’ve thoroughly made your aide uncomfortable and embarrassed you, Laird McCarroll,” the Emperor smiled as he spoke. “Would you please tell me why you thought it so important for you to be here in the meeting? The Admiral has already given me his briefing on the situation at Ibliss, and he is aware of my wants in the situation. I fail to understand how you, a man not of any military background, might be of assistance to me.”

  “Forgive me, Your Majesty,” the Laird bowed at the waist. “But I am here to support the continued expedition at Ibliss, of course. Perhaps the presence of more of your Wraith Corps there might turn the tide of battle?”

  “I’ve lost a healthy chunk of my Corps already, Laird,” the Emperor noted sourly. “So forgive my reluctance to commit more of an already small force. The Marines, I’ve noticed, are on standby at Anvil. So is the Army. There’s also a fully-readied fleet at Belleza Sutil. We have yet to use any, and I’ve asked the Justice to look into deploying them.”

  “They’re mere Imperfects, Your Majesty,” the Laird replied. “Only their suits are worth anything. We can easily find more Imperfects to fill their ranks. Deploy the suits and the battle will be won.”

  “Interesting,” the Emperor pressed the tips of his fingers together and gazed at the trio. “It seems to me you have your priorities misplaced, Laird. The Wraiths are mine to command, and mine alone. I allowed the Justice the use of them an
d paid the price for my generosity. Now you seek more? If I were you, Laird, I’d be far more concerned with the austerity pledge you and the others in the Upper Parliament are proposing than the killing of my personal guard.”

  “I fail to understand your fixation with Imperfects, Your Majesty,” the Laird admitted as the butler returned with a silver tray in hand. Delicate baked goods, with Andouille stuffed inside and feta cheese crumbles sprinkled on top, made Darius’ mouth water. The Laird politely accepted one, as did the Justice. The butler handed one to Darius, who smiled and thanked the man. The room fell silent as the Emperor accepted one of the biscuits as well. The others waited for the Emperor to take his first bite before they began to eat theirs.

  “But can’t you see, Laird, when treated the same as everyone else, Imperfects are just as good at tasks as we are?” the Emperor asked. “Just look at my butler, for example. He prepared those delicious biscuits for you. Would you say his being an Imperfect hampered his cooking abilities?

  The Laird recoiled slightly from the Imperfect, his face showing a glimpse of panic before the diplomat’s features smoothed over. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and subtly spit the remnants of the small Andouille biscuit into it. He pocketed the handkerchief and glared at the Emperor, who offered him a small smile as the butler left the meeting room, the serving plate still in hand.

  “My apologies, Laird. I thought you were an enlightened man, above such petty differences as genetics.”

  “I thought our Emperor was above petty games,” Christophe retorted. Solomon cocked his head.

  “Isn’t life but one petty game, in the end?” he asked.

  “Playing with the lives of others is not a game, Your Majesty,” Christophe said. “Especially when we were here to discuss the events at Ibliss.”

  Solomon drummed his fingers on his knee and nodded. “Too right, Laird. Too right,” he murmured. “But my decision has been made. The Justice of the Service has my support, as always. And the next phase of his battle plan will not involve any Wraiths. There’s a large budget for defense; I think it’s high time he uses it.”

  “Thank you for the meeting, Your Majesty,” Christophe said and bowed. Darius and the Justice of the Service followed suit.

  “Always a pleasure to have my nobility opine on defense-meeting agendas, Laird,” Solomon said, dismissing them.

  The Laird turned and walked from the chamber, with Darius and the Justice hot on his heels. Darius looked over his shoulder at the Emperor, and, for a moment, thought he saw a wink. He stumbled in surprise, coughed, apologized to the two guards who were closely watching him and left.

  Outside, the Laird was fuming.

  “How dare he mock me!” Spittle flew from the Laird’s lips as he spoke, punctuating his anger. “He knew I merely wanted to voice an opinion on the matter, and yet he decides to try to neuter whatever speech I had planned on giving with his unseemly display.”

  “Laird,” the Justice warned, but Christophe was far too deep into his rage to hear him.

  “The nerve! The nerve! My family has worked for generations to ensure the rightful rule of the Lukas family, and this damned fool of an Emperor is willing to piss it all away with carefully placed insults and mockery!”

  “Laird Christophe...” Darius said. The Laird turned on him.

  “What!?”

  “I believe you are making the guards nervous,” Darius said and nodded to the armored men around them. The Laird looked at them and snarled.

  “Let’s go, Darius,” the Laird ordered. “We have many things to do, and not a lot of time to do them in. Parliament opens in three days, and I need to be ready.”

  Darius followed the Laird out of the compound and back to their private shuttle, wondering just what his boss was talking about. The speeches have been readied for months, he thought. What else is going on here?

  #

  Darius was shocked by the number of people who had turned out to hear Kevin Espinoza’s Lower Parliamentary speech. Nobles from the Upper House were present, with even Crown Princess Katherine seated in her role of Adjudicator; although somewhat an honorary position, she still held a lot of power in her little fist. The press was out in full force, with many of the varying corporations struggling for a better angle on the passionate man from Belleza Sutil.

  I wonder how badly Laird Christophe would crap himself if he knew Kevin’s brother was in his employ, Darius mused as he felt his mind begin to detach emotionally. He felt another persona bubble up from the depths of his being. He needed to be Darius, and Darius was extremely loyal to his employer. Darius was not generally impressed with the sayings of young, volatile man from outer worlds because the nobility was always right. Oh, sure, he was enthralled by the young representative from the fringe planets. He felt the change almost instantly and Andrew was, for the time being, pushed to the back of his mind as he fully became Darius.

  “You’re quiet, young Darius,” a voice spoke from over his shoulder. The elderly senator from Corus had crept up behind him and stood uncomfortably close. A cold, clammy hand rested on his shoulder. “Is this proceeding boring you?”

  “Not at all, milord,” Darius replied, a small smile playing across his lips. “I find all things fascinating. This man, for instance. Brought into power by a populist election, though the family is wealthy and could easily reach the rank of nobility if they pressed the advantage. Instead, they decide to follow the whims of the uneducated, stinking masses. There’s no security there, milord, no certainty. Only chaos. It’s...thrilling, to be frank.”

  “I’ve never thought of it that way,” Duncan admitted as he slid next to him. His pudgy hand left Darius’ shoulder and grasped the ancient wood railing overlooking the House floor. He leaned forward and exhaled heavily. “He is such an impassioned young man, full of life and vigor. Yet he has a very articulate mind, one designed to analyze and disseminate information rapidly. He is an interesting conundrum; a potential ally for the cause, methinks.”

  “Interesting is a different way of putting it, milord,” Darius nodded. “Perhaps an alliance with the young parliamentarian would be wise after all.”

  “I was looking for the Laird,” Duncan said after a moment. “I have information for him.”

  “I believe he is preparing for his own speech, milord. He asked me to jot down anything pertinent Representative Espinoza may spout off – mostly, he desires to hear his views on the budget proposed by the Upper House, though I think he may also want to learn more about the man personally. He also wanted to know if his lordship was able to sway the wife of the young Espinoza over yet.”

  “Tell your lord the storm looms on the horizon,” Duncan said, his voice soft. “Word for word, tell him that.”

  “‘The storm looms on the horizon’,” he quoted. “Anything else, milord?”

  Duncan offered him a small smile and a subtle wink. “Not at this time. Perhaps another?”

  “Perhaps, milord.”

  Duncan bowed his head slightly and wandered away, leaving Darius alone in his thoughts. He shook his head and looked back down at the young representative from Belleza Sutil, who was really getting into his speech.

  “...but we ask ourselves, who pays for this?” Kevin asked from the pulpit, his eyes staring intently into the various recording instruments held by the press. “The common people. The nobility. All pay their share to the Emperor, all pay for the constant security of the Dominion. For the Upper House of Parliament to be calling for austerity in this time of necessary survival is simply absurd. We must keep our fleets in top fighting condition if we are to exist!”

  Applause exploded from the gathered masses, from the standing representatives to the common men and women in the gallery. One or two nobles were even applauding, though the majority were very grim-faced. The budget, without cuts, would continue to dig deep into their pockets. In all our pockets, Darius amended sourly, wondering just how much of his pay would be affected. How any politician could call for taxes
without being strung up by an irate populace was beyond his comprehension. Then again, Darius thought with a mental shrug, isn’t the Lower House exempt from some taxes? That’d be interesting to know. I’m certain the Laird would use that sort of information to his advantage.

  “I call for a vote to extend the War Powers Act for another twelve months,” Kevin called out. Darius grunted. That’s not going to make Laird Christophe happy. “Do I have a quorum for an immediate vote?”

  Oh, hell, he blinked and nearly broke his cover. He realized what the young representative from Belleza Sutil intended and almost applauded. He’s going to force the issue now, while all the lords are off preparing their speeches opposing it! The scheduled vote is in three days...Dirty little genius!

  “Aye!” a voice seconded from the floor. A third confirmed. Darius looked at the Crown Princess, who had a mischievous little smile upon her face. His respect for the young Representative grew, as well as the fear for his boss.

  So, that’s why she’s here. She’s to vote in the stead of missing Parliamentary members. Clever.

  “My Princess, if I may have a vote count,” Kevin asked as he bowed towards the Crown Princess of the Dominion.

  “You may commence,” she replied. Darius stiffened.

  “Shit,” he muttered. Part of him wanted to stay and watch the outcome, but he knew he could not break cover. He had to get to the Laird, and quickly, before all hell truly broke loose, which could lead to him losing his job.

  He rushed from the room and down the crowded hall, struggling to push past the adjutants and assistants of the various representatives and lords who milled about, all seemingly unaware of the impending vote nearby. One man, dressed in a tight-fitting suit with green flourish, actually tried to slow him down as he hurried by.