by Terry Mixon
Kelsey shook her head. “No. We’re still looking for a way.”
Olivia shared a glance with Sean. This Kelsey only thought she knew how bad things were. If the Rebel Empire had succeeded in taking Pentagar in her universe, they might find out about the weak flip points.
“I’m very much afraid the situation in your universe is significantly more dire than you imagine,” she said. “The Pale Ones are an aberration. Something left over from the Fall almost by accident.
“The AIs that control what is left of the Old Empire are sentient. They subjugated the humans that survived and have brainwashed most of them into being blind servants. The forces that came to subjugate Pentagar were manned by Fleet personnel from the Rebel Empire, not Pale Ones.”
She allowed a moment for that to sink in. “They will have eliminated all resistance on Pentagar, but they won’t mindlessly obliterate everything. They’ll almost certainly hear about your arrival and how you saved Pentagar from the Pale Ones.”
Kelsey swallowed noisily. “I have to pray that Elise and her people manage to keep that secret to themselves. Otherwise, the cost is everything I love.”
They sat in silence for a long moment before Kelsey continued. “To answer your earlier question, Mertz rebelled while we were gone. He and a number of renegade Fleet officers tried to seize power. My father was assassinated. Mertz tried to kill Ethan, too, but my brother is smart.
“Mertz escaped with perhaps a third of Fleet and made his way to Pentagar. We didn’t know he was there. He used another officer to claim to be a rescue force. We were damned glad to see them and never questioned things.”
Sean nodded. “We sent reinforcements here, too. With different results, obviously.”
“We never suspected a thing,” Kelsey said bitterly. “They slipped more than enough people onto Courageous and took her. Captain Breckenridge died in the fighting. Mertz seized control and left through the Erorsi weak flip point with all his ships. We had nothing that could hope to stand against an Old Empire battlecruiser, even one in the condition we found her.
“Eventually, the attack on Erorsi drove us after him. I’ve got Captain Breckenridge’s original task force. That’s it. We had a single set of battle screens. That was enough to protect one of the destroyers. That’s how I was able to explore the nova and find the alien space station.”
The other woman shook her head. “Only my armor was strong enough to resist the radiation and visit the station. The alien there told me about you, as hard as it was to believe, so here I am trying to find any solution I can to save my people.”
Olivia’s heart went out to Kelsey. Her universe had really, really drawn the short straw.
Sean cleared his throat. “I hope we can help. We’re passing by Orbital One.”
That reminded Olivia that she should’ve been watching the scanner feed. The massive space station was right there. In close orbit around it was the newly reformed Home Fleet commanded by Admiral Yeats. And his flagship.
“Holy God,” Kelsey said softly. “What is that?”
“That is the superdreadnought Gibraltar,” Sean said. “Admiral Yeats’s flagship. We recovered her and the rest of the new ships at Harrison’s World. We’re still getting the force together and this is only part of it. Most of our ships are at Erorsi holding off the Rebel Empire. Admiral Mertz was in command of that force until he came back to perform a special mission.”
Kelsey turned to face Sean. “No wonder you were able to resist him. Look at the size of that thing. Is she fully operational?”
“She is,” Sean said with a nod. “But Kelsey, Admiral Mertz recovered that ship. It wasn’t even repaired when he led a force of over a hundred Old Empire ships back here to Avalon.”
Her lover focused his attention on the princess from another universe. “I can’t speak to events in your universe, but in this one, Jared Mertz sat on the flag bridge of a ship just like that one—the superdreadnought Invincible—when he entered Avalon orbit.
“Let me lay this out so I’m being as clear as I can be. He had more than a hundred Old Empire ships under his command and Fleet had nothing that could stand against even Invincible.”
Sean relentlessly continued. “His fleet consisted of a superdreadnought, a Fleet carrier, six battlecruisers, eight heavy cruisers, twelve light cruisers, two dozen destroyers, thirteen Fleet transports, ten colliers with extra missiles and supplies, six Marine troop transports, sixteen fast couriers, twelve scouts, a dedicated science vessel, two hospital ships, four factory ships, a liner to carry civilians, and a Marine Raider strike ship. All Old Empire tech and manned to fight.”
The silence that statement produced was profound.
“Kelsey,” he continued softly, “if Admiral Mertz wanted to take over the New Terran Empire, he could have reached out his hand and done so. No one could have possibly resisted. He turned all those ships over to Admiral Yeats and submitted to the emperor’s authority willingly. Jared Mertz—at least our version of him—has no designs on the Imperial Throne.”
Kelsey stared off into space until the cutter began descending into Avalon’s atmosphere. Only then did she sit back and slump.
“Courageous was more than enough to take the New Terran Empire,” she said softly. “I can’t believe this is true.”
“There must be plenty of records,” Olivia offered. “And you’re going to see the emperor. He’ll tell you.”
Kelsey rubbed her face. “My father never saw Mertz for what he is. He died still wanting a relationship with the Bastard. As much as I loved him, my father was a trusting fool.”
Olivia shook her head slightly when Sean opened his mouth to respond. “In the end, you’ll have to decide what to believe. Perhaps in your universe that’s the way things are.
“In this one, Kelsey Bandar has stood back to back with Jared Mertz. Together, they fought the enemies of the New Terran Empire. All we ask is that you entertain the possibility that things here are different. That people and events might have progressed in a different manner than you remember.”
“I suppose I don’t really have a choice,” the short blonde woman said. “I won’t promise that it’ll change how I feel, but there seems to be enough evidence that things in this universe are not the same as in mine. People here might be different.”
Olivia heard the slight emphasis on the word “might.” It was probably the best anyone could hope for at this point.
8
Elise took a different cutter down to Avalon than Princess Kelsey, Sean Meyer, and Olivia West. They’d already left Athena by the time Jared had contacted her with this mission and frankly, it was best the others didn’t know what she was doing anyway.
Getting an appointment with Senator Nathaniel Breckenridge was as simple as calling ahead and asking if he had time to speak with her.
The same young woman who had met her on her first visit was standing beside the landing pad and smiled at her. “Crown Princess Elise, welcome back to Avalon. The senator is waiting for you.”
Elise was thankful that her implant memory made remembering names and faces easy. She extended her hand to Jean Trouville, the aide to the Imperial Affairs Committee. “Miss Trouville. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
The woman’s smile brightened even more. “For me, too. I saw your wedding. It was so romantic. And your husband.” She made a motion fanning herself with her hand.
That made Elise chuckle. “Jared is all that and more.”
The aide led Elise into the Imperial Senate building. It was still a bit too modern for her taste, but the initial edge of dislike for the design she’d felt had faded. Perhaps it had more to do with how she’d felt about Nathaniel Breckenridge at the time.
As the powerful uncle of Captain Wallace Breckenridge, the man who’d betrayed them all at Erorsi, she’d known him to be their enemy. Someone so dedicated to power and wealth that he would work against them every step of the way.
And she’d been completely, utterly wr
ong.
Nathaniel Breckenridge had ending up working hard to help them meet their goals and been shot rescuing Emperor Karl Bandar. It wasn’t often that Elise misjudged someone, but this had been one of those times. As Kelsey would have said, an epic fail.
The man was also Kelsey’s biological father, something he hadn’t known before the attempted coup. That was still something neither her friend nor the senator quite knew how to approach, but he would listen very closely to what Elise had to say.
Senator Breckenridge had also been the father to Crown Prince Ethan Bandar. He’d known that by the time he’d chosen to keep the mad prince off the Imperial Throne. While he hadn’t directly had a hand in the man’s death, she imagined it still kept him up at night.
This time, no one had any issues with her guards. The protocol had been established and the Senatorial Guard knew the people in the Royal Guard. A number of guards from the elite Pentagaran unit lived on Avalon now, providing security for their embassy.
Miss Trouville led Elise to the same office she’d visited before and handed her off to the senator’s assistant. He speedily passed her inside to the senator himself.
Breckenridge was already in front of the desk with his hand extended. “Crown Princess Elise, it’s a pleasure and a surprise seeing you again so soon. Your wedding was magnificent. I hope you and Prince Jared find every happiness.”
It felt as if everyone had seen the state wedding when she’d married Jared and Kelsey had married Talbot. The viewership numbers confirmed that. It was literally the most watched broadcast in both the Kingdom of Pentagar and the New Terran Empire.
Only people living in caves had missed it.
She gave the senator a wide smile. “Thank you and we both hope so, too. Also, thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice.”
“You said the matter was urgent. I’ve cleared my schedule and I’m at your complete disposal.”
Elise looked around his office. “I need to make certain the room is secure.”
“It was swept for listening devices a few days ago, but I’ll have my people come in and give it another look.”
Once he’d tasked his assistant, she raised an eyebrow. “I’m curious. Do you find many listening devices? My people are absolutely paranoid about the things, but I’ve never asked what they find.”
“Surprisingly, yes. In the last year, my people have found three. One was crude and the perpetrator was quickly identified. The other two were exceptionally high quality and we still haven’t proven who put them here, though I have my suspicions.
“The new technology makes finding them easier for now, but as it gets out to everyone, the bugs will become much more sophisticated. The senate has a room that’s secure from eavesdropping. Eventually, we’ll need more of them.”
His eyes narrowed. “Do you think it best we use the room now?”
She nodded promptly. “Don’t let me stop you from securing your office, but this matter couldn’t be more important and I don’t want anyone to catch wind of it.”
“How intriguing. Come this way, then.”
He led her down the hall to a room with a massive hatch. It looked like something she’d have expected to see on a ship protecting a sensitive compartment from destruction. Two members of the Senatorial Guard stood outside.
Breckenridge spoke softly with one of the guards. The woman signaled and stepped into the room once the hatch opened. A few minutes later, several men and women—Imperial Senators, she assumed—came out.
One of them jokingly accused Breckenridge of shooing them out to disrupt their plans to get some piece of legislation passed. He laughed and said he was actually inclined to support it, if they could come to agreement on a few details. They made an agreement to meet in a few days to discuss the matter.
“I’m sorry you had to disrupt their meeting,” she told the senator as he led her into the room.
“Think nothing of it,” he said dismissively as the Senatorial Guard searched the room for listening devices. “They’d already exceeded their reservation time. In case this is a surprise to you, politicians love the sound of their own voices.”
Elise laughed. “I’ve noticed that. How long did you reserve it for us?”
“An hour. Is that sufficient?”
“You’d best make it two, just to be safe.”
“Done.”
Once the guards declared the room clear and departed, Breckenridge sealed the hatch and activated the antilistening equipment.
He gestured to the table. “I can get us refreshment from the small kitchen over there. If you need to take a break, there’s a restroom beside it. We made sure that once a meeting started, no one would need to leave the room.”
“I’m fine,” she said as she sat at the table. She waited for him to sit next to her and then launched into events of the last day.
He listened closely and didn’t interrupt, even though she could tell the news of a Kelsey from another universe shocked him.
“She’s probably at the Imperial Palace now,” Elise concluded. “She’s going to want help, but that’s not why I’m here. The problem is that every computer in the Empire recognizes her as the heir and we really don’t know her.”
Breckenridge leaned back, his expression still reflecting his shock. “I can see where that would be a concern. There are no allowances made for people from other realities. At least people can be warned. Well, the ones that need to know.”
He immediately shook his head. “No, that won’t work either. The news would get out. Well, this is a complex problem. What can I do to assist?”
“The emperor has decided the simplest solution is to declare Kelsey medically unfit. That would allow him to restrict her authority. As the heir, that means such a decision requires the Senate to approve the recommendation.”
Breckenridge nodded slowly. “That might work, but it creates a different set of complications. As you said, politicians love to talk. That includes telling secrets to people that aren’t cleared to hear them. Still, for something this important and delicate, it’s possible we can keep word of the situation to a small group.”
His eyes took on a haunted look. “On a personal level, I’m troubled by how badly this Kelsey has been hurt. It tears at my heart.”
Elise nodded. “Mine, too. I don’t think she knows about your role in her parentage, so you’ll have to be very cautious when you interact with her.”
That comment made his eyebrows rise. “You think I should meet her?”
“I do. The Senate has to hear from one of their own. I think you should come with me to the Imperial Palace as soon as we finish here.”
He chuckled ruefully. “I can’t imagine she’ll be pleased to see me, even if she doesn’t know what I did with her mother.”
“You might be surprised. From what I’ve been told of her story, she and Wallace were close allies.”
“That’s…troubling on a completely different level. My nephew was never the smartest Fleet officer. It brings her judgment into question.”
With a shrug, he rose to his feet. “I suppose I’ll find out. This can’t wait. I should meet her and the emperor as soon as possible and get the ball rolling.”
Kelsey was amazed at how intact the capital was. The images she’d seen from after the attempted coup had shown her a city partly in ruins. This place looked pretty much as she remembered it.
Oddly, there were some differences in the skyline. She was able to find half a dozen buildings that were changed in some way from what she remembered even without consulting her implants. That brought it home to her that this was not her universe in a way being told just couldn’t manage.
She wondered again what the version of her from this reality was like. Aside from having the worst judgment of people she’d ever heard of.
Yet, perhaps not in all things. The woman had fallen in love with a marine. Someone that had filled the same role as Angela Ellis in her world.
That she could underst
and. Angela was her strong right arm and firmest ally. If it were the same here with this Talbot, she could imagine how the relationship had developed.
She said nothing as the grav car left the city and headed for the Imperial Palace. The coup had left her home a smoking ruin. She longed to see it whole again. And to see her dead father once more. Even if he wasn’t truly her father.
The thoughts threatened to make her good eye start tearing up, so she set that aside and looked at Sean.
“What happened to my brother here?”
His expression became grim. “You did. Rather, our version of you. She allowed him to run to the system with the alien spaceship in it. Without battle screens.”
That revelation made her suck in a deep breath. Her scientists had told her the radiation there was intense enough to kill everyone inside a ship in minutes. Hell, even the ship’s systems would fail in an exceptionally short period of time.
She’d killed her own brother? That was unthinkable.
“Your universe might be different,” Sean continued relentlessly, “but Crown Prince Ethan was paranoid here. Not in small measure, either. He believed everyone was out to get him and he poisoned your father. He then framed you for the crime.”
“Perhaps that’s what some people want you to believe,” she responded, unconvinced. “I’ve known my brother my entire life. He is not a villain. He loves the Empire.”
The Fleet officer shrugged. “Again, I can’t speak to that. I wasn’t on Avalon, but I saw the testimony before the Imperial Senate where they laid it all out. A number of people opposed your father naming you as the heir and Ethan’s actions had to be spelled out with hard evidence.
“There was a diary in his own image and voice. One he’d kept for years, documenting the various people he felt had wronged him. Of what he’d done to get even. Here, he killed people. Had them killed, anyway. Tell me, do you know Carlo Vega?”
