Commander

by Richard F. Weyand

  “The losing side, Your Highness?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty. If armed conflict results from the DP’s meddling, Sintar will win.”

  “You seem very certain of that, Your Highness.”

  “I’m absolutely positive, Your Majesty.”

  “There are more than twenty independent star nations, with a combined total of a hundred and ninety-five thousand planets and a combined population approaching three hundred fifty trillion people. The DP itself comprises only eighty thousand planets, but has a total population of almost five hundred trillion people. Assuming the independents ally into one entity, either of these are larger than Sintar, Your Highness, yet you are positive Sintar will win, against either, or both?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty. Sintar will win because you are totally ruthless.”

  Dunham raised one eyebrow and tilted his head just a bit to one side.

  “Perhaps the better word would be single-minded, Your Majesty, but I actually think ruthless fits better. You are totally dedicated to the Sintaran Empire winning. There is no course of action you will not consider to achieve that goal. You have no morals, no ethical code, no compassion, no mercy, no personal fear of death – absolutely no other consideration, other than the Sintaran Empire survive.”

  “Of course.”

  “Yet do you realize how rare that is among our peers, Your Majesty? Perhaps you don’t. It certainly does not apply to the politicians of the Democracy of Planets. Their priorities are personal survival first, political power second, and the good of their own people a distant third, if at all. The calculation is similar for most other leaders of star nations. Personal survival first, regime survival second, and the good of their people third. None of them would pursue a course that would inevitably result in their own death but would ensure the survival and happiness of their people. But you would. Without any hesitation whatsoever.”

  “That’s correct, Your Highness. I am oath-sworn to do just that. And I will not be forsworn.”

  Dunham pronounced the words of that last sentence slowly and separately, like drops of water into a still, deep pool.

  “And that means Sintar will win, whatever the odds, against all comers. I don’t know how you’ll do it, but you will. I won’t have Estvia be on the losing side if the DP succeeds in fomenting that war, Your Majesty. As I said, I won’t misread you again.”

  Dunham considered King Michael, who seemed content to wait. Were other rulers truly that venal? He hadn’t known any other rulers personally other than the Empress Ilithyia I, his sister, the Empress Ilithyia II, King Howard II of Pannia, and King Michael VI of Estvia. All seemed cut from the same cloth as himself. King Howard had, in fact, abdicated his throne to secure the benefits of being subjects of the Empire for his people.

  Dunham thought back through the history of the Fifty Years War. There the perspective changed. Decision after decision, ruler after ruler, battle after battle. He saw the pattern. All was directed to serve the rulers and the self-styled elites rather than the people. And the people had suffered. Oh, how they had suffered! There was a reason the Empire was popular with its people, and the teaching of that history had perpetuated that loyalty.

  From amid all the carnage, Sintar had emerged relatively unscathed. The kings and queens of Sintar had made their decisions with the people’s well-being foremost, and the results had showed it. Two of those rulers had themselves died during the wars, but they had not flinched from the protection of the kingdom. It was that loyalty to the people that had allowed the Empire of Sintar to emerge. Coming through such carnage, to such a ruler could people pledge their allegiance.

  Dunham slowly nodded.

  “What do you propose, then, your Highness?”

  “That Estvia carry on. That we continue discussions with the DP, and with the other independent states. That we purchase some DP warships. That we join any alliance of independent states which may emerge. However, I will keep you informed of events, Your Majesty. I will make our military assessment of the DP warships available to you. And if war does come, Estvia will not raise arms against Sintar.”

  “You would stand aside, Your Highness?”

  “No, I suspect that will not be possible, Your Majesty. If war comes, I will instead request annexation to the Empire.”

  “And become Sector Governor Michael Roberts, Your Highness?”

  King Michael waved it aside with his hand.

  “That is of little consequence, Your Majesty. The only thing that matters is that I would have the ruthless Emperor Trajan and his Imperial Navy defend the people of Estvia as his own. Thus I fulfill my solemn duty.”

  Dunham sat stunned. King Michael had obviously given his plan a lot of thought. It was better – much better – than Estvia requesting annexation outright, right now. It gave Sintar eyes in the enemy camp, if enemy camp it was or would become. And King Michael’s offer was at no small risk to himself. The vindictiveness of the DP and some of the independent star nations could be assumed.

  Dunham slowly nodded, and King Michael visibly relaxed.

  “It is agreed, Your Highness. If war comes, the Empire will annex Estvia and I will defend the Empire, including the Estvia Sector as much as any other.”

  “And absent war, Your Majesty?”

  “Estvia continues independently, Your Highness, but as a friend of the Empire.”

  King Michael stood, and so did Dunham. The king offered his hand and Dunham shook it.

  “It is agreed, Your Majesty.”

  “It is agreed, Your Highness.”

  Dunham and Peters were in the living room of the Imperial Apartment after dinner. Dinner had been tournedos of beef tenderloin with a mushroom cream sauce, pan-fried mashed potatoes, and sautéed fresh vegetables, with rhubarb pie a la mode for dessert.

  “So what happened with the King of Estvia this afternoon?” Peters asked.

  Dunham turned to the Imperial Guardsmen in the corners to either side of the door.

  “Leave us.”

  The Guardsmen nodded and left the room. Once they had left, Dunham addressed the ceiling.

  “Guard.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” a voice came back.

  “Suspend audio monitoring for thirty minutes.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  A soft ‘bong’ tone sounded from the ceiling. Dunham looked over to the light switches by the door and noted a small flashing red light on the panel.

  “Heavens,” Peters said. “I didn’t know you could even do that.”

  “They don’t like it, but they’ll get over it. This is the most closely guarded state secret. I haven’t even told Geoffrey – yet – but I should tell both of you so someone else knows.”

  Dunham explained to her what the DP was up to, confirming in full her intuitive leap of last Sunday, and King Michael’s assessment of Sintar’s chances against all comers if it came to that. Finally, he told her of the king’s extraordinary offer.

  “And you agreed, I assume?” Peters asked.

  “Of course. He’s making the best deal he can for his kingdom, but it’s also a tremendous deal for us.”

  “With additional defense requirements.”

  “Which won’t be a problem. The detailed warship designs are in and are being evaluated. The HARPER system prototype will test next week. We still have the existing navy. And we have the new weapon.”

  “Amazing he thinks Sintar will win, not even knowing about most of that. Did you tell him anything about any of it?”

  “No. I told him nothing of our plans. Not even why we had a warship construction hiatus or a boom in freighter construction. Although he didn’t believe a word from the DP ambassador, so I suspect he knows or guesses much of it. He is not stupid.”

  “The ruthless Emperor Trajan. Hmm. Trajan the Ruthless has better euphony. Like Catherine the Great, or Ivan the Terrible.”

  “Now don’t go repeating that,” Dunham said.

  “Oh, I won’t. It’s not quite true, af
ter all. You make the tough decisions, but they do bother you.”

  She looked out the window wall, down the Palace Mall, at the large statue of Ilithyia II, standing proud atop its pedestal. Dunham’s sister had made some tough decisions of her own, all for the benefit of the people of the Empire, though it ultimately cost her life. His gaze followed hers. After a few moments, she turned back to him, on the other end of the big sofa. He turned to face her.

  “But you do make them, though, and that’s what counts.”

  Three soft ‘bong’ tones sounded from the ceiling.

  “Audio monitoring re-established, Your Majesty.”

  “When are you going to talk to Geoffrey?” Peters asked.

  “I should probably tell him now, don’t you think?”

  “Can’t hurt, if he’s available.”

  Dunham to Saaret: Geoffrey, can you spare me an hour of your time this evening?

  Saaret to Dunham: Of course, Bobby. Is now good?

  Dunham to Saaret: Now is good.

  Saaret to Dunham: I’ll be right there.

  Dunham sent a message to the Imperial Guard to direct Saaret to where he and Peters sat. Peters moved over to one of the club chairs facing the big sofa.

  It was just a few minutes later that an Imperial Guardsman showed Saaret into the Imperial Apartment’s private living room. Saaret had never been here before. It was identical to the living room he and Suzanne had in the Co-Consul’s Apartment.

  “Hello, Bobby. Amanda,” Saaret said.

  “Have a seat, Geoffrey,” Dunham said, waving to the other club chair, the one directly across from his seat on the sofa.

  “Thank you.”

  Saaret almost said, “Sire,” but caught it. First names only on the residential floor of the palace. Suzanne insisted, and both Saaret and Dunham were too smart to cross her.

  Dunham turned around to the Guardsman who had shown Saaret in.

  “Leave us.”

  The Guardsman nodded and left. Once he had left, Dunham spoke to the ceiling.

  “Guard.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” a voice came back.

  “Suspend audio monitoring for thirty minutes.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “Actually, make that an hour.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  A soft ‘bong’ tone sounded from the ceiling. Dunham turned to check the light switches by the door for the small flashing red light on the panel.

  Saaret raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

  “Second time tonight. Gonna drive ‘em nuts, Bobby,” Peters said.

  Dunham just shrugged.

  “Geoffrey, I wanted to bring you up to date on the meeting with King Michael this afternoon. I just told Amanda, and you two are as far as this story is going. Imperial state secret.”

  “I understand, Bobby.”

  Dunham explained to Saaret what the DP was up to, and King Michael’s assessment of Sintar’s chances against all comers if the DP’s meddling came to war. Finally, he told Saaret of the king’s offer to annex to Sintar rather than fight the Empire.

  “That’s a bold move,” Saaret said. “I didn’t expect that.”

  “Do you think it’s a feint?”

  “No. There’s no record of the House of Roberts ever reversing a statement as direct as you describe. I would expect to see his public statements about any sort of alliance of the independent star nations to be much more flexible as far as his future actions. I expect he’ll leave the door open enough to meet his commitment to you. Besides, I agree with him.”

  “You agree with him Sintar will win, even against all comers?”

  “Oh, yes. I have an advantage there, as I know about the new warship designs and weapons and such. But his decision is all about how different star nations will approach a war, and I think he’s right. I don’t think the word ruthless is quite right, but I know what he’s talking about. Put simply, you will do absolutely whatever it takes to win, no matter what it is, without any hesitation or any other goals or limits. And no one else will. That’s why your sister won against the Council, for that matter. Winning was the only thing that mattered to her.”

  “I don’t even understand how other leaders cannot think that way.”

  “And that’s why Sintar is so very lucky to have you, Bobby, and to have had your sister. And King Michael knows it. He’s done his homework since the last time. He won’t get caught out like that again.”

  “I can’t believe someone is planning to start a war, Geoffrey. It’s like starting a wildfire. Who knows what it will burn in the end?”

  “That’s what King Michael is afraid of. His obligation is to Estvia, and he wants to do as well by it as he can. There have always been political entities it was near-suicide to attack. The Roman Empire was one.”

  “’They make a desert, and call it peace.’”

  “Tacitus was talking about Rome, and he was right. What Hadrian did to Judea was just one example of many. The United States of America was another political entity it made no sense to attack. They decisively ended the Great War of the first half of the twentieth century by bombing their opponents to dust, even though their own homeland was largely untouched. The economic recovery of their opponents took a whole generation. And the Democracy of Planets was the same way for a long time. There’s a reason the Fifty Years War did not extend to the DP.”

  “And King Michael is betting Sintar is this era’s untouchable?”

  “Yes, for many of the same reasons. A loyalty of both its citizens and its leaders to the high concept behind it. The Romans marched to war under ‘Senatus Populusque Romanus,’ the Roman Senate and People, even well into the imperial period. The de facto motto of the United States of America for nearly two centuries was ‘E pluribus unum,’ or ‘from many, one.’ And the early DP actually was a democracy, and not the plutarchy it’s evolved into.”

  “And Sintar?”

  “Have you forgotten the Imperial Oath?”

  “Not likely. ‘I, Robert Allen Dunham IV, pledge to perform the duties and responsibilities of Emperor of the Sintaran Empire, wielding authority with compassion, justice with mercy, and power with finesse, for the benefit and well-being of the people of the Sintaran Empire, now and into the future, until I die.’”

  “There you have it. The coronation is the most watched video in the Empire, both live and in recording. There are few people in the Empire who have not seen their ruler get down on his knees before their Throne and dedicate his life to acting for their benefit and well-being. It’s powerful and unifying.”

  “I meant the words as they stand, not as mere propaganda, Geoffrey.”

  “And they know it, Bobby. It showed. Remember, I was there. That’s what makes it so powerful. If someone attacks us, God help them. No other leader has close to the loyalty of their citizens that you enjoy. King Michael probably heard something of the kind from Howard Walthers. In any case, he’s got to make the call, and he’s betting that, whatever happens, you’ll come out the winner. I think he’s right.”

  Three soft ‘bong’ tones sounded from the ceiling.

  “Audio monitoring re-established, Your Majesty.”

  “Thanks for stopping by, Geoffrey. It’s been helpful.”

  “Of course, Bobby.”

  Second Testing

  Everyone was back aboard HMS Raptor – that is, they were back in the building on Imperial Fleet Base Osaka marked HMS Raptor – from liberty ‘ashore.’ Their first order of business was to gain some experience with the HARPER system bots that had been installed on the Raptor and its sister ships of the uncrewed squadron.

  The HARPER bots were in charging racks in a special container latched to the ship in one of the spare aft container positions. The container had been wired to ship’s power for the charging racks, and a ramp had been installed so they could travel from the container to the surface of the ship. The charging container was on the same side of the ship as the electronics bay and stores ba
y.

  “All right. Let’s VR into these things and see what we got,” Chief Petty Officer James Fordham said.

  Fordham logged into a bot and found himself in a line of bots, facing another line of bots on the other side. They were all coming awake, now, and their camera-and-light pods swung back and forth as they looked around.

  “Kowalski! Stop shining your light in my eyes.”

  “Oops. Sorry, Chief.”

  Fordham pushed the ‘Open Door’ icon in VR, and the entire end of the cargo container rolled up like an overhead door.

  “All right, Clark. Head us out.”

  Marty Clark detached his charging line and turned toward the door. His tracks were already facing that direction. He looked directly out into open space. No airlock, no nothing.

  “That’s gonna take some getting used to, Chief. Straight to space, no airlock.”

  “Well, don’t get too used to it, Clark. Nobody says you won’t be on a manned ship again at some point, and opening both airlock doors is considered bad luck. C’mon. Let’s go.”

  Clark started out the door and down the ramp. The rare-earth magnets on the treads didn’t make any sound pulling up at the rear, but they clicked a bit at the front, with the right and left side almost in unison, as they hit the surface. Everyone else could hear the clicks transmitted through the plating.

  cliclick-cliclick-cliclick-cliclick-....

  “I’ll be damned, Chief. This thing actually works.”

  “All right, Clark, just don’t get cocky. Everybody else, let’s go. Take it easy to start, until we learn what we got.”

  Two at a time, one from each side, the two-dozen bots moved out of the container and down the ramp onto the ship’s surface. The cameras and lights swung around as crewmembers looked around. It was a familiar sight to most of them, but always in a suit. The VR impression of being outside on the ship unsuited in vacuum was disconcerting.

  “All right, so let’s do some inspectin’,” Fordham said. “Norton, you and your bunch go check out the electronics bay. Clark, you and your bunch check out the spares bay. Kowalski, you and your bunch check out the engines. And Potts, you and your bunch go check out the impeller.”