Chapter 1: On Earth at the Court of Columbus.
A few days later the news of the Trena Disaster had finally reached EmpQuar. The Palace of the Earth Empire, in what had been the City of Columbus, Ohio centuries ago on the north American content near the inland sea of Lake Erie. The Emperor was enjoying a quiet super with his only daughter watching the lights come on in the various buildings around the grounds, and the city the palace was surrounded by when the holoset in the corner of the Princess’ Dining room caught the heir’s attention.
“Shit,” The princess said getting a dirty look from her father. The princess had spent much of her youth, and adulthood as a Marine Corps officer. She had on her own merit risen to be the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Most of the heirs of the throne of Columbus never rose beyond a captain. The emperor or empress usually wanted them out of harm’s way. For some reason Max had let her do what she wanted. Maybe he was indulging a father’s weakness for his daughter. “That’s Mike!”
“It sure is Carroll,” Her father said, “What’s going on.”
“I don’t know,” She told the computer to go back to the first part of the story. The expert system went out to the broadcaster, interrogated its AI and got the entire story for the princess. Both monarchs watched the presentation dumb founded. Not wanting to believe it, yet knowing it was real.
“Is Queen Aggie up to that?” The emperor asked, “That’s nearly an inhuman task they’ve got.”
“If she isn’t; she picked a good one to help her.” Carroll returned, “Sir Mike should have been a flag officer a long time ago. He was just too good to leave in the enlisted ranks.”
“Personal prejudices aside?” Her father teased gently reminding her of the infatuation she had with Wilson when she was a pup in the Marine Corps.
“If Sarge can’t do it there is no one that can!” the Marine Commandant replied ignoring her father. She had, had a devastating infatuation on her platoon sergeant when she was just out of marine basic. It went nowhere, not just because of the officer enlisted prohibition; but because of the very beautiful woman standing at his side. Lisa, a lady he had lost, and later found. When Carroll had found out that Wilson was still deeply in love with Lisa, even after the death of his wife, she had been terribly hurt. She wondered why he couldn’t love a normal woman like her. It had been Admiral Wilson who had explained it. Lisa was the only person at one time who’s mind Wilson couldn’t read. Wilson had been a telepath for most of his life until a head injury had eradicated his esper abilities. Once she understood, she was no longer hurt; and it had allowed her to review the entire situation allowing her to realize that a Princess didn’t marry a NCO in her father’s marine corps, let alone an officer marrying an NCO. She smiled as she thought about it. Some nights when she was very lonely she wondered what it would have been like to be his lover.
“So he wound up on Trena,” Her father commented, shaking his head. Of all the injustices he had to perpetuate in his Empire, cloning, and the owning of bioengineered humans was the one that troubled him the most, not just the inhuman side of owning people, but the destruction it was causing his empire.
“You’ve known for a while?” Her father accessed softly.
“Yes,” Carroll had known for several years where he was. She had helped him bust Lisa out of the imperial brig in Columbus and saw to it that his trail was muddied by letting him steal an imperial landing craft and letting everyone think she was the only one board. It was the least she could do for her sergeant major. For the man who had taught her what it meant to be an officer and a lady. She had met Lisa, and had laid the law down to her that she had better take care of Mike or she would hear from her. Lisa understood and was slightly insulted that princess would say such a thing to her. The princess had only made certain that they could escape, Mike’s friends made it happen. The men and women who made up the MP unit he was the Command NCO of ensured that the right people were on duty and the right heads and eyes were looking in the wrong places for them. They had all heard one way or another about their top sergeant’s love for this woman.
“Dad can we do anything for Queen Aggie?” The General suggested, “They could use a hospital flotilla from the Interstellar Rescue Service, and a couple heavy lift squadrons.”
“Computer,” The emperor spoke into the air, “I would like to speak with the Trena Ambassador, and have the secretary of state, and secretary of defense meet with me as soon as their schedules allow tomorrow.”
“Will do,” The computer said.
“You are going to Trena.” Her father told her, “You’ll be going as my emissary, with instructions and paper to invoke the imperial seal, and fiat as needed to assist Queen Aggie. It is her show. It’s Wilson show, you just make certain that any imperial resource they may need they get.”
“Yes father,” The princess replied softly.
“Carroll,” Her father took her by the chin so he could look in to her eyes, “Understand me. Your primary job is to help the people of Trena. Your second job is to make sure Sir Mike and his family, get to safety. That man and his family are worth more to this tired ole galaxy than me or you.”
“Aye-Aye,” the future ruler of the Terran Empire responded almost insulted that her father felt he had to tell her what she was about. She understood. Her father had admired Mike almost forever. He had four times decorated him. He had made him a Knight Commander of the Empire. Mike was the only living Knight Commander of the Empire. Her father felt that Wilson was the key to maybe doing something about Ebio. Ebio was a company that was strangling the life of the empire. The emperor just had to find a way to use the man in a way that was both just and got the job done.
Every Last Mother's Child Page 12
