Every Last Mother's Child
Page 177
Chapter 1: The Court of Columbus
In the court of Columbus, Emperor Maxwell had viewed the interview between Lady Wilson and Mr. Least. It had taken a week to arrive at the palace. It came in by diplomatic pouch with a note from Ambassador Gray, “Max you might want to see this.”
He had viewed it twice not sure what to do, Lady Gray was one of his best ambassadors. She handled her station with little grief to the empire. His Secretary of State complained about his other ambassadors; but never about Gray. Lady Gray had not suggested anything. He had asked the state department if anything else come in with the bag. It hadn’t. He wished Carroll was here; her council would be greatly appreciated. He viewed the video again then spoke to his steward.
“Lee,” he said softly, “Would you have the attorney general and the Navy JAG come to my quarters please.”
“Yes sir,” the man said. A few minutes later the JAG and the AG entered his suite. After greeting them he said, “I want to do something for Lord Wilson. I also want to do something for his bride.”
“Yes sir,” The AG a solidly built woman in her early second century. “What are you thinking?”
“Well we still have charges pending on Lord Wilson do we not?” The emperor asked.
“Well technically he committed jail break, and or he stole evidence in an imperial investigation. He could be guilty of obstruction of justice.” The AG said.
“His only military offense was removing the clone from imperial custody.” The JAG said, “Even that is questionable. We were in the process of turning her over to Ebio. As the major stock holder of the company he was duly authorized to take her. The rest of his file is clean.”
“What about Lady Wilson,” The emperor asked and got a dirty look from the AG. She objected to the honorific, only humans could be a royal.
“Well we know she has committed one murder. She more or less admitted to that.” The AG responded “It would be difficult for her to live in the empire. The company has never acknowledged her murders. Never asking for an investigation; but the CDC has investigated them and she has murdered several people in the company.”
“There is no doubt she did that,” The JAG, a Marine Corps officer broke in, “But the Corps De Chameleon looked into it as did the NIS, and the Imperial Bureau of Investigational. The people she killed had either been attempting to kill her, or had she been in the Marines, in the Black Guard, would have fallen under the black ops protocols. I think she has nothing really to fear.”
“I see,” The emperor replied. “But she was impersonating....
“No majesty she wasn’t,” The JAG said, “She joined the Navy under false pretenses. But she never impersonated a marine, or a starman.”
“Okay then,” the emperor said, “Lisa Wilson is now considered a marine. Not a Starman, but a marine Black Guardsman. She holds a grade equivalent to her spouse. At the very least a Master Gunnery Sergeant.”
“There’s going to be some real noise about that,” The JAG said, “A couple of generals and a couple of NCOs will bitch about this. Parliament may not like this.”
“That’s why she’s to be an NCO.” The emperor said, “She won’t need an act of parliament to be vested as a sergeant major. The Commandant of the Marine Corps is an old family friend, there won’t be a problem.” Maxwell said and the JAG chuckled knowing his commander was talking about his daughter. “I am going to pardon both of the Wilsons they have served the empire like few people have. I want them both free to travel in the empire without the threat of imprisonment. You guys make it happen.
“Also I want you put a force together. I want every company facility visited. I want a Black Guard unit, and an investigation team from your office. You’ll want to assign a hospital ship from IRS to support the operation. I want a base plan of action by Thursday.”
“Yes sir,” the two attorneys said.
“If you find any pregnant clones, or evidence the company has been creating clones by getting them pregnant, the current company executives are going to go the Rock!” the Emperor said.
“That could mean a couple lords in the parliament, and Wilson is a major stock holder.” The Attorney General replied.
“He may have known what was going on; but until recently he couldn’t prove it in a way that wouldn’t have gotten him killed. Remember he took his bride out of empire because he didn’t think we could protect him from the company.” The JAG commented, “We’ve known for years where he was and what he was doing. He has not committed any crime against the imperial marines. As for knowing what his company was doing. He has not been part of the company since before he joined the marines. True he accepted their money, only because he had too, not because he wanted to. When he found that he had inherited all that money from his aunt, he retired from the marines, took Lady Wilson from his brig and left the empire! He turned his vast fortune over to his daughter. He never had anything to do with Ebio’s day to day operation.”
“What about his daughter,” the attorney asked.
“My daughter is her proxy,” the empire responded, “as is Admiral Wilson. But from what Carroll has told me, both she and Admiral Wilson were doing their best reign in the company. They were having some success, not much.”
“I know,” The JAG replied.
The Emperor nodded to himself before speaking.
“It is your job to make sure that the stink that’s going to come out of this shit storm doesn’t land on the Wilsons. I don’t care if it lands on me! I can deal with it. But the Wilsons are our future; if not the empire’s; then the galaxy. I have no idea what is going to happen with Home; but there have been empires that have started out less humble. We may need him and the people of Trena/Home as an ally against the Theocracy and the Republic. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir,” both attorneys said.