Beyond Death (Perimeter Defense Book #2)

by Michael Atamanov

  Nai Igir confirmed that she had understood my conditions, then I ordered her to put the incoming call through. The Iseyek Prime spoke for a very long time. I didn't understand a word of her squeaking, but I didn't hurry to use Phobos or Popori de Cacha to translate, as I was afraid of distracting her. Finally, my translator turned off the microphone and turned to me.

  "They will not resist, and agree to join your fleet, Crown Prince. Just one condition was named: these ships are to stay in Swarm territory no matter what, and your Highness cannot take them out to the Empire. If Prince Georg agrees to this limitation, they are prepared to join immediately."

  I gave my permission for the Iseyek ships to only come to my side temporarily until Nai Igir had officially become the ruler of the Swarm. The Iseyek Prime made a short trill into the microphone, and an excited shriek and whistle rang out from "our" Iseyek on the common fleet channel.

  "Admiral Kheraisss Vej, accept these new ships under your command!" I said and, taking off my headphones, went to find the Arite. I just had to tell him about the change in the situation and suggest conducting three-party talks with the Swarm Progenitor.

  * * *

  I couldn't find Bionica, either in her room, or on the general deck, so I turned to the Truth Seeker for help.

  "The Arite is now in your bedroom, Crown Prince. Her and my sister are fighting."

  "What could Astra have found to disagree with it over?" I grumbled in dissatisfaction, then hurried to my cabin.

  I could already hear the muted screams and cursing coming from behind the closed door as soon as the doors of the elevator opened. After opening the door to my cabin, I took a careful step over the two girls, who were fighting on the floor right in front of the door. Astra and Bionica were rolling around the carpet screaming and wheezing and pulling one another's hair. I briefly took a seat in an armchair, and looked on with the measured interest of an observer as the two approximately equally sized girls grappled. The forces were equal, and neither of them were preparing to give up.

  I had to intervene. I took a pitcher of emerald green juice, walked up to the fight and poured the contents out on the overeager girls. The tangle of bodies fell apart in a moment, and both participants in the fight jumped back with a catlike hiss.

  "That crazy idiot Bionica attacked me! The android is clearly broken!" cried Astra, first to speak through tears of pain and shame.

  "Well that green-haired witch threw a serving tray at me. With boiling water in the mugs, by the way!"

  "You're damn right there was! You need to learn to think with those computery brains of yours. I burned my fingers because of you!"

  "Well you freaking bit me. Some Princess! Who taught you those manners?!"

  "Oh, I taught myself, dearie! It looks like the android has finally come out to play! You got something wedged in your chips, huh?"

  I hurried to play the peacemaker before the fight built up to a new pitch:

  "Astra, I've already warned you about Bionica. Plus, you lost the bet and promised to behave irreproachably, nobly and with exceptional dignity, as a true Princess should. Which is why this is strike one, and two, and you will be seriously punished. You will spend the next three days as the android's servant: you will clean up after her, wipe the floors, cook the food. You'll spend all these days in Florianna's room, and there, by the way, you'll also be cleaning up after and feeding your sister. And if I hear even one complaint about you not doing your job well enough, I'm sending you to spend a month on an Iseyek ship. You can entertain them with your dances! The insects, and not just they, really liked your performance. I even got a report that a video of your dance is the most popular file exchanged on the data networks of my fleet."

  "But Prince, that's not fair!" The Princess, somewhat rumpled up in the fight, tried to object, but I immediately interfered in my favorite’s objection:

  "Not three days, but a week! And if I hear one more word of complaining, it'll be a month! How will I get through to you...?" I turned back to the Arite with an irate expression on my wounded face. "You are aware that androids are not capable of aggression, aren’t you?! And how am I supposed to explain to my subjects the fact that my normally peaceful android is behaving like this? You have exactly one week to learn to be an android. And if you try to pull any more stunts like this, I'm setting you down on the first planet we reach, no matter if there's intelligent life there or not. Now you and I are going to three-party negotiations between three great cosmic races, so get ready and get yourself together."

  Making use of the fact that Astra had turned away and was digging in the cabinet, Pseudo-Bionica turned into a white cloud for a second, before returning to the synthetic blonde’s body, but without scratches on her face or a torn collar on her uniform.

  "Let's go. But I warn you now, if you try to copy the Iseyek Prime, you will be learning to breathe in a vacuum!" I threatened the Arite, and he accepted the condition.

  The negotiations took place in the large hall of Emperor August. Katerina and her assistants made the broadcast. The previously unknown type of Iseyek with blue wings was shown in detail to the humans, then there was a section on the shape-shifting Arite, then me in ceremonial uniform with a made-up face. After that, I asked everyone to clear the room, and only the three of us remained in the center of the hall.

  The negotiations were laborious and drawn-out. The Arites and the Swarm were arguing about the peace conditions and on what terms their two races would be able to co-exist. The options considered were many, from: everything will remain as is, and the war will continue until one of us is totally destroyed, to the recognition of the Arites' right to reside in Swarm territory and the opening of Arite systems to Iseyek immigrants. At some point, the option of uniting the two cosmic governments in a united Federation was even considered, with a Queen-Ruler in the person of Nai Igir.

  But, over all the negotiations on friendship and mutual aid, I was not prepared to ignore the question that was paining me the most: the Swarm's treason. There was absolutely no way I could let that stab in the back go or put it on the back burner. An Imperial Crown Prince is not some mere pawn that can be sacrificed unpunished! In my mind, this action merited extremely severe retribution, so the thought to do something like that would never even cross the insects' minds again! When I stated my very harsh demands, Nai Igir thought for some time. An exchange began, and twenty minutes later, we had agreed to arrange compensation for the betrayal amenable to both sides.

  And now, after six hours of heated arguments, there was a document signed by all three parties, the importance of which was impossible to overestimate. The nameless Arite, the Swarm Progenitor Nai Igir and Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle had agreed on the following:

  - The war between the Arites and Iseyek is ended from this point on. The Orange House of the Empire shall serve as guarantor of this peace.

  - The Orange House's ships shall have the right to uninhibited movement throughout the Swarm and Arite systems.

  - The Arites are declared a part of the Swarm as the "Arite Iseyek race" at full parity with the other Iseyek subraces, and shall receive the ability to live and move throughout Swarm territory without any limitations whatsoever.

  - The Arites shall receive half of the votes in the Swarm.

  - The Arites shall transfer their territories (and these were not many, but not so few either, fourteen star systems in total) to the control of the Swarm Progenitor.

  - Four Swarm star systems shall be annexed to the Orange House of the Empire: Oort, Fia, Khs and Yal. The holder of these systems shall be Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle.

  - The Yayho border fleet shall join the Perimeter Sector Eight Fleet in its entirety.

  - The incident in the Kej system is considered settled. Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky, and the Orange House and the Empire have no more grievances against the Swarm in regards to what happened.

  - The Swarm will put all its territories (fifteen star systems) under the
control of the Swarm Progenitor.

  - The Arites, the Swarm and the Empire shall conclude a military alliance against the Alien invasion.

  And though I had my doubts that I had the right to sign such a document, and that the Iseyek and Arites would affirm the authority of their signatories, Katerina ton Mesfelle, invited to film the signing of the historic treaty, thought that there would be no problems with its legitimacy:

  "You are an Imperial Crown Prince and commander of the Perimeter Sector Eight Fleet, which means a large part of Swarm territory is part of your zone of responsibility. Who is more qualified to be representative of the Empire than you? And do you really think the Emperor would refuse a gift in the form of four star systems annexed for humanity?! The Iseyek Prime's authority is indisputable. What’s more, there will be a vote on it in the Swarm soon, and with the help of the Arites, or even without it, the result we want is already guaranteed. Well, and as for the authority of the Arite present on the cruiser, we'll soon find out. As far as I understand, there are already a great many Arites in the Swarm, and they are capable of communicating with one another. And if the Arites really do transfer their territories to the Swarm, in doing so they will affirm that they recognize the signing of the treaty."

  Before the camera flashes even went out, a new wave of system messages flooded in:

  Sovereignty Change. The Oort system has been placed under the jurisdiction of the Orange House

  Sovereignty Change. The Fia system has been placed under the jurisdiction of the Orange House

  Sovereignty Change. The Khs system has been placed under the jurisdiction of the Orange House

  Sovereignty Change. The Yal system has been placed under the jurisdiction of the Orange House

  Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle shall become the sovereign of the Oort system

  Achievement unlocked: Imperial Conqueror

  The Arite State has ceased to exist.

  Standing change. Iseyek race opinion of you has improved.

  Alpha Iseyek race opinion of you: +15 (warm)

  Beta Iseyek race opinion of you: +13 (warm)

  Gamma Iseyek race opinion of you: +11 (warm)

  Arite Iseyek race opinion of you: +2 (indifferent)

  Iseyek Prime race opinion of you: +4 (indifferent)

  Global fame increase. Current value +20

  Global standing increase. Current value +6

  Out of the four star systems, Duke Paolo royl Anjer confirmed my authority over just one. On the one hand, it's weird that he even said yes to one. One the other hand, why just one? The situation looked very similar to the one with the Brotherhood of the Stars to me, and as such I calmed myself down in advance by making sure the local leaders in the Fia, Khs, and Yal systems wouldn't take any kind of oath to any kind of holder appointed by Duke Paolo.

  * * *

  My fleet did not spend much time in the Arite system. Right after recharging energy, we continued our path through the Swarm systems. We met no resistance from the insects anywhere. In fact, the Iseyek were more than ready to help us with repair at every station we came to. The Swarm-model ships filled up their ammunition reserves, and General Savasss Jach completely restocked on huge eggs of new recruits for the huge Tria.

  We were in the Kha system when the results of the vote came in. The Swarm had voted in the majority to give all control over the now-dual space government to the Swarm Progenitor, the Iseyek Prime Nai Igir. There was no farewell as such. Right after the results were announced, a group of armed Alpha Iseyeks arrived to my flagship to fetch their new Queen, and the Swarm Progenitor set off for the capital on one of the Iseyek ships with her blue wings gleaming.

  "Shall we go home to Unatari?" suggested Katerina ton Mesfelle, who had come with me to see the insect Queen off.

  "Yes, probably," I said with a heavy sigh. "Another half hour for the battleships to recharge, and we'll head for home.

  I felt a stagnant sensation of discontent lingering inside. After I had demanded compensation from the Swarm in negotiations in the form of a fleet and star systems, I immediately felt how sharply the Swarm Progenitor’s opinion of me had changed for the worse. She clearly thought there was a better way of solving this issue.

  Not able to find my place, I set off for Florianna's room for advice. Astra had her orange uniform's sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and was washing her sister with a sponge in a foamy bath. I thought it perhaps was not the best moment to talk, but Florianna asked me not to leave.

  "I know what you want to ask, your Highness. Yes, Prince Georg, the Swarm Progenitor really was thinking of offering you to become co-ruler of the huge united government. Thirty-three star systems, not counting the fifteen already under your Highness's control. Trillions of subjects. All the resources of the Swarm and the power of the many star docks for making a fleet that Crown Prince Georg could only wish for. In one year, your Highness could have had the unheard-of power that a competent fleet commander such as yourself would need to take down the Aliens. However, instead of practically god-like power, Crown Prince Georg, you decided to take four star systems for the Orange House, which are populated by the none-too-loyal Iseyek race. The Crown Prince making such a choice seriously disenchanted the Queen."

  "I don't think I would have agreed, Florianna. All the same, it is a shame to realize that I didn't even get to consider the possibility."

  The short talk with the Truth Seeker had calmed me a bit and made me think seriously. I returned to my cabin. Without Astra, whose presence I had already managed to grow used to, it seemed a bit empty and uncomfortable. The thought even crossed my mind to forgive her and bring her back, but all the same I decided to remain firm so the lesson I was trying to teach my favorite would stick.

  I sat for a while with a stupid aloofness before the dark screen. I gathered my strength and turned on the data panel. I brought up a map of star systems. Should we really go back home to Unatari? If I did, I would be in Sector eight with four hundred fifty damaged ships, and that was only if the Yayho fleet really did join me. Could I really face Duke Paolo royl Anjer’s fleet of two thousand with such a force? Of course, I could get through to Unatari and do repair work there for a couple months, then practice for a long time with my soldiers before a decisive battle with the Duke... Or I could do it another way. Not so much strengthening my position, as weakening Duke Paolo's. The best defense is a good offense! I turned on the common channel.

  "This is the fleet commander speaking. Cancel the scheduled route to Unatari. All ships warp toward the Aya system. We are going to Perimeter Sector Nine!"

  Sector Nine

  I had never seen Katerina ton Mesfelle in such a depressed state. She seemed practically dead. Even after the Iseyek had left us to die in the Kej system, my cousin had managed to keep herself together, but now the young woman was crying uncontrollably while wiping bitter, make-up-stained tears from her face, and there was nothing she could do to hold it in.

  "Did I not do a good enough job… the first time?!? What happened, Georg?!?"

  "It’s a bunch of bullshit, Katerina," I said, trying to calm my cousin down. "My fleet isn't fighting the Aliens just for some virtual standing numbers. We are fighting to save the human race from total annihilation. We are fighting for our children's future. And all these likes and pluses, our adversaries and haters can stick right... in their profiles."

  "But, why this... reaction, Georg? What made this different from... what happened in... Hnelle?"

  To be honest, I didn't have the answer to my cousin's question, and was quite surprised myself. We had barely established stable contact with the Empire when my advisor started broadcasting reports she had prepared long ago, recorded in the Kej, Aysar Cluster, Lobj and Khe systems. The enemy's huge starship flotillas, new never-before-seen types of Alien combat starships, fierce battles with no studio gloss, thermonuclear explosions in space, huge fields of debris from destroyed ships, losses in the Sector Eight Fleet, and beautiful wins.

&n
bsp; But human society reacted in a way my cousin and I were not expecting: all the news channels were accusing her of blatantly faking the broadcasts, saying that the clips show the traces of sloppy editing work, and that it was simply impossible. So-called "leading experts" were competing to see who could find more problems in the material sent by the Sector Eight Fleet on our victories over the Aliens. The Imperial Joint Staff's experts and the authoritative military staff of the Great Houses were making all kinds of calculations, totally unintelligible to the viewer, proving with their malignant smiles that Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky's press service had started producing obvious forgeries, as the level of success depicted in them was simply not realistically possible against Aliens.

  It should also be said that there was a big devastating interview, given by Crown Prince Khayt royl Andor ton Reyekh from the Purple House shown on the main news channels. The Crown Prince declared himself the galaxy's foremost expert on Aliens, given that his Perimeter Sector Four fleet had already racked up eight Alien ships on its account. And, differently from some (here a mocking laugh followed), all of the Purple House's victories had been proven by captured trophies and Alien ship wreckage that you could touch with your hands and see with your eyes to be sure they were real. Whereas the Orange House had nothing but these heavily-edited clips. The loudly hyped, allegedly boarded Behemoth never made it to the Empire for study, and also most military specialists have serious doubts about the existence of such an Alien ship in the first place, given that the firepower reported was too extreme to be realistically used in a space battle.