"All clear. He is not thinking of doing anything bad," Florianna reassured me.
I answered the captain, that only the Truth Seeker and her silent minions would be with me. The captain quickly sized up the little Flora with a look, then took a slightly longer look at the four gigantic pill bugs around her, and gave his permission. I asked all my guards, even the Chameleons, to stay by the shuttle. The captain's guards also mostly stayed in the hangar. Only two bodyguards came with us. We went up on an elevator several stories and came out into a big, verdant greenhouse. On the plastic path, which wound whimsically between ponds of brightly colored fish, Tazar ton Akad led us to a transparent door, with a small office behind it. The captain pointed me to a soft couch, having already taken a seat on the one opposite it.
"Crown Prince. Let me try to guess why you're on my ship. You're thinking of acquiring the Parn system. Am I right?"
I was not able to hide the surprise on my face at the captain's insightfulness, and Tazar ton Akad smiled happily, clearly satisfied at the impression he'd made.
"How much for the system?" I asked, deciding to take a similarly direct line.
Katerina and I had already tried to calculate how much I could afford to pay for the strategically important star system, and had come to three billion credits. I would need to spend another billion and a half on building a nice station with freight terminals, defense systems and a large number of starship charging slots. That was why I listened to the captain's offer carefully, somewhat worried inside that I would have enough money in my budget. But, the Star Mutt captain's answer surprised me:
"Crown Prince, it must be hard for you to understand, but not everything in this world can be measured in money. Here on board Star Mutt, for example, we have no use for it. People simply live, do their job and get the goods they need. What do they need money for?"
"You must need something, though," I hinted, not believing it could be true. "Fuel for the reactors, replacement parts, new kinds of crops, more powerful computers, fresh star maps..."
Tazar ton Akad, shaking his head "no," while still holding a well-meaning smile on his face, replied:
"The Empire provides us all these things for absolutely nothing. We're gonna get a new warp beacon in a few weeks, too and, many years from now, we'll place it in a new star system we've discovered for our race. That is our work, our holy mission, and humanity provides us with everything we need to carry it out... All the same, there is something that would make me agree to give your Highness ownership of the Parn system."
I looked inquisitively at the captain, but he suddenly interrupted me, asking both of his guards to leave and keep watch over the door. The two identical armored figures unquestioningly carried out their captain's order and went into the greenhouse.
"Those are my children, twins, Paul and Paola." The smile left the old man's face. In its place, a stern and prudent look appeared. "My conditions are related to my children. You take the twins and provide them a comfortable life in the greater world. I know how well you did for your companion Astra, Crown Prince. She came to you a dowry-less refugee, and now she's Queen of Veyerde. I don't ask for kingdoms for my children, but the price of the Parn system would easily allow them to be provided places in the highest ranks of the Empire, or am I wrong?"
All I could do was agree with the captain.
"Do not ask why I am doing this, Crown Prince. Perhaps my children will tell you one day if they think it necessary. And so, your Highness, do you agree to my proposition: the Parn system in exchange for getting my children into the world of Imperial upper aristocracy?"
I considered it, and then gave a cautious answer to the graying old man.
"Your conditions have been understood and accepted, Captain Tazar ton Akad, but I do have a demand of my own. The battle for power in the Orange House is coming to a head. My enemies are very strong and unscrupulous. I'll have to hide a few people very close to me for some time, maybe a couple days, maybe a few months. The whole Empire knows that Star Mutt does not accept newcomers, and as such no one would ever think to look for my people here. And, if they decide to look, you could hide a whole division of flying tanks on this giant, and no one would ever find them if the captain of that ship made sure of it..."
"That is true, Crown Prince," the captain of Star Mutt interjected, "however, a Truth Seeker would be able to find anyone trying to hide, even on such a huge scout ship as this."
"You don't have to worry about that, captain. One of the people I'm leaving behind is Florianna," I said, pointing to the paralyzed girl in the flying chair. "Her abilities as a Truth Seeker are more than enough to not have to worry about them being found."
The captain took another look at Flora and gave a sideways smirk:
"Oh, I already know all about that. You mustn't think, Prince George, that we here on the Star Mutt live in the wilderness and do not watch the Imperial news. The girl who kills admirals with a single glance... Worrying company, though it will be safe with her, here I agree with your Highness. All the same, I have heard a lot about your other Truth Seeker, Crown Prince. Will Miya be here as well?"
I saw Florianna's flying chair twitch at these words. There was no reason to hide anything, so I answered as honestly as possible:
"Miya will definitely not be here on Star Mutt. In fact, it is not impossible that she will be one of those trying to find the runaways. Though it may also be the other way around, and Miya will be on our side."
"Hmm... You drive a hard bargain. Risking drawing the ire of the most powerful Truth Seeker in the Galaxy is the last thing I want in this life. But all the same, I agree for my children's sake. When should I expect your people on my ship? And when will you pick up the twins?"
I estimated in my head. My contract with Mr. G.I. would run out in forty-five days, and after that, the Crown Prince and his wicked companion, probably not too happy with all the changes that have happened in their lives, may want to take out their rage on people close to me, or simply have them killed for their safety. Bionica, Phobos, Nicole Savoia, Popori de Cacha, Florianna, Valian ton Corsa, the Arite... those were the individuals most in need of my protection. And Astra, but she has become Queen, and was far away and would soon stop being associated with me. Katerina ton Mesfelle? They would hardly touch Crown Prince Georg's cousin, though I would also have to set my advisor up somewhere, just in case.
"My people will come to the Parn system here in thirty-five days. After that, Star Mutt should start its many-year route to a new, unknown star. There will be a ship with you, or a few ships, which will take the stowaways and your children back as soon as everything's calmed down."
The captain wiped his palm in satisfaction:
"I see. As it were, the new warp beacon is being delivered to Star Mutt in thirty days, along with other equipment I ordered, so everything with the timing is great. Let's shake on it, Crown Prince. I agree to your conditions!"
* * *
Here we are, my capital, the Unatari star system! It had been so long since my fleet left it, setting off on a military campaign. So many events had passed since that time: the battle of Hnelle, the Siege of Tesse, the Chameleons making me their ruler, the battles with Aliens on praying mantis territory, the Swarm's treachery in Kej, venturing beyond death, the strenuous battle in the Lobj system, the three-party treaty, the information blockade, the raid through Sector Nine, the liberation of Veyerde and, finally, our journey out of Sector Seven... My head was spinning from the thought, but then we reached the finish line of our cosmic odyssey. My people were clearly tired and, as soon as the ships docked at the Unatari station for repair and modernization, I announced a week of leave for the whole Sector Eight Fleet.
Katerina ton Mesfelle accepted a fifty-million-credit bonus for her work with a rapturous shriek. She rushed off to get into a plane; my cousin had long been eying and island for herself on Unatari-VII and was now hurrying to close the deal.
Bionica also went off to the planet. My synthetic
secretary did not like the red-headed body, so the android was rushing to go back to blond. Popori de Cacha also asked for some time off with her team to watch over the consciousness-transfer process into the android's new body. Other than that, the head of my guard had different concerns. She had to organize the tournament I had long ago announced for Chameleon males for the right to become the mate of the captain of Surprise-1. Insofar as I understood from a conversation I'd overheard between my bodyguards, Popori de Cacha herself was to be the second prize in the tournament.
The staff officers rushed to make use of the leave they had received and set off for some relaxation in the resorts of Unatari. Even the Truth Seeker left me in her way. Florianna had long needed to take another dose of crystals and, as such, the paralyzed girl immediately made use of the chance that arose and left for a many-day sleep. She didn't even come down to the planet, instead just hiding in her cabin guarded by her minions.
I couldn't wait to set off to rest in my palace either. However, before doing that, I wanted to visit the docks and the huge space research complex, built orbiting the planet Unatari-VII during my absence. I started with the laboratories, setting off there in a shuttle accompanied by Admiral Kiro Sabuto and Lieutenant Valian ton Corsa. The girl was wearing an armored suit with an opaque, tinted helmet visor, which hid her disfigured face, and clearly made her anxious. Valian had refused my utterly sincere invitation to visit the palace on Unatari, telling me with self-pity that she wouldn't be able to do that for the next few years.
The laboratories greeted us with an abundance of scientific staff of all different species, and spacious hangars, which contained fragments of Alien ships and whole captured frigates. There was also incomprehensible equipment and such an atmosphere of serious painstaking labor that even an Imperial Crown Prince visiting wasn't enough to distract the busy scientists. The station head was a Gamma Iseyek, one of those rescued from the Kej system. He still spoke quite badly in human language, but his Ravaash assistant helped translate in difficult places.
"Crown Prince, your main mission is complete. We have completely figured out the construction of the small Alien combat drones and are already able to produce copies."
"And that’s not all," a middle-aged woman unexpectedly interfered in the conversation and just then introduced herself. "Samantha ton Kruger, head of the drone testing laboratory. My Prince, we were able to copy the combat cannons, thrusters and maneuvering systems of this model drone and have successfully decompiled its program code. In fact, we were able to improve the drone's algorithms and create different behavior models in combat, from a high-survival preference 'careful' mode, to suicidally aggressive."
"How many drones can you make per day?" I wondered, quite delighted at the victory reports, and Samantha’s happy expression immediately faded:
"My Prince, this is so far the only one we've made. It took us three weeks... Outfitting a mass-production line to make Alien drones would cost quite the pretty penny..."
I frowned and demanded concrete numbers. The Gamma Iseyek quickly chirped something out, and his assistant translated the answer:
"Tuki-tuka-de-sa, the total purchase price in Tesse would be three hundred forty million credits. Delivery and unpacking would take four days. After that, we would be able to produce up to sixty drones per day at a production cost of two hundred forty credits per unit."
"I give you three days to get it up and running. And also, get enough to make one hundred twenty drones per day. If you need two production lines to do that, buy them. In thirty days, I need no less than three thousand new drones for a full fleet refit."
"Such extreme conditions for an order will bring the total costs to simply gigantic numbers." The Gamma Iseyek started thinking for a few seconds and said, "One billion three hundred million credits, and your fleet can have the number of drones it needs one month from today."
In silence, with no emotion, I transferred the total to the laboratory-manufacturing complex's account. After that payout, I had two billion credits remaining.
"Your order will be completed on time, Crown Prince Georg," the Gamma Iseyek bowed, imitating a human gesture. "Would you like to see our other laboratories?"
* * *
Unfortunately, the scientists had yet to make any inventions that were as epically groundbreaking as that one. They didn't figure out the Sledgehammer's shield recharging system. The Alien communication system also remained a seven-seal mystery. Cannons, producing antimatter, thrusters, Alien fabrics... none of the projects had yet to bear fruit. Only in the hangar, where a large group of specialists was poking around in the mobile-warp-beacon-equipped frigate, was I given some hope of certain success being made. The scientists had figured out how to turn some of the frigate's systems on, and had carefully even piloted the Alien starship, once taking it out of the hangar into space.
"If that little ship can jump invisibly between systems and open a mobile warp beacon in four weeks, I will shower gold on all of you," I promised, but it became apparent by their confused faces that even they didn't think they could do it.
"Your Highness, Count Avalle royl Anjer ton Mesfelle has arrived to Emperor August with some companions," my communications officer told me.
To be honest, I was a bit confused. My sister had said she would get a meeting together with the second man in the Orange House, but I wasn't expecting it to be so soon. I had to leave the orbital laboratory complex and return to my flagship.
The Count did not arrive alone. And even if I personally was no match for twenty guardsmen armed to the teeth, there were enough of my soldiers on the heavy cruiser to make sure my guests wouldn't think they could let too loose. But then, the young looking companion of the Count set me right on guard as soon as I read the information in her popup hint.
Marian Sabati
Age: 91
Race: Human
Gender: Female
Class: Mystic
Achievements: Master Psionic, Kills with a Glance, Punisher, Child Killer
Fame: 41
Standing: -74
Presumed personal relationship: Unknown
Mother of my wife! What kind of monster had the Count brought with him?! I couldn't even understand what to be more surprised at here: the abundance of terrifying achievements, how young she actually was at ninety-one, her high fame or her standing, which was so ghastly that I wouldn't even have reached it in my darkest moments in the game... It might be time to call Miya in as a counterweight to this monster.
"Look who's talking about monsters..." said Marian, clearly offended. "You got close to a Truth Seeker whose conduct makes normal people afraid to so much as greet you. I'm not talking about the paralyzed girl sleeping on this cruiser, either."
The Truth Seeker didn't even hide that she was shamelessly digging around in my brain, despite the fact that such behavior is considered very uncouth. Ah then! I didn't try to hide my mocking smile. Go ahead, read more of my thoughts. Marian's eyes first grew wide in surprise, then the woman laughed uncontrollably:
"Georg, that's enough! I'm obviously flattered that I cause such fantasies in you, but you are seriously embellishing reality. And also, the last position you were imagining just wouldn't work. Just believe my almost century of experience."
The Truth Seeker turned to her master and said something matter-of-factly without a drop of joy in her voice:
"Your radiance, the Crown Prince has some doubt that he is capable of defeating Duke Paolo's United Fleet. And another important thing: somewhere nearby, probably here on this cruiser, Miya is hiding. That is precisely why Crown Prince Georg has no fear of me and isn't even taking this seriously. He is sure that Miya is capable of appearing here at any second."
"Miya is the last thing we need here," the Count said, bristling as if from cold. "Marian, you are free, let the Crown Prince and I talk one-on-one."
When the Truth Seeker was still in the door frame, she stopped sharply and turned to me:
"Your compari
ng me with a monster seriously affected me, Crown Prince. I saw a girl on your ship who hides her disfigured face behind a mirrored helmet. I would like to see her. Differently from Miya, I sometimes do nice things for people."
"Marian, if you can help Valian's burns heal, you have my word as a Crown Prince that I will publicly apologize to you and give you a gift worthy of an heir to the Empire."
After the door had just barely closed behind the ninety-year-old beauty, the Count declared:
"Alright, now we can talk, tet-a-tet. If you want my support in this conflict, my price is fifteen billion credits. I know that you do not have that much in money, Crown Prince, but I am not picky about how you pay. I'd be willing to take ships, star systems, or other property as well."
To be honest, I was quite caught off guard by him starting the conversation that way, and didn't even make an effort to hide it:
"Actually, I was seriously thinking of asking your Grace for an approximately similar sum in exchange for the Duke's title and post as Head of the Orange House, which I could bring you on a silver platter."
"Don't be stupid, Georg. You have thirty-five days left before the Emperor's deadline for making peace is up, and everyone knows it. And, though perhaps my brother is no military strategist, he’s no dummy either. He's planning on simply holing up in the Orange House Capital for the next few months and gathering all the forces of the United Fleet there with the warp beacon turned off. That is why there is no way for you to keep your promise to the Emperor without my help."
I smiled and took out a small jewelry case I'd brought with me, opened it and showed Count Avalle the Emerald Star inside.
"This star is one of five issued to me by the Emperor to award to the worthy. This one is for you, Count Avalle. I'm describing the situation as it will be in a month. My fleet, operating from the Unguay system, will take the Ulia system, which belongs to you, Count. Duke Paolo won't give the order to split up his huge fleet and send ships to help you out. The United Fleet will remain in the Orange House capital, as your Excellency will even order."
Beyond Death (Perimeter Defense Book #2) Page 32
