Solbidyum Wars Saga 9: At What Price

by Dale Musser

  “I expect you all to be loyal subjects, to honor me as your Supreme Emperor by erecting statues of me in all of your cities. All monuments of your fallen heroes of the past are to be destroyed. All records and plaques containing the names and images of your past leaders are to be destroyed and replaced with statues and images of me. I am your RULER now!”

  He giggled maniacally again and struggled to control his flailing arms. When he regained his grasp on the chair arms, he leaned into the camera again.

  “I am your EMPEROR! Your GOD! You will serve and worship ME! You will live and die for ME!”

  His voice began to rise in self-glorification as he raised one fist in a show of might.

  “I am MING, descendent of the most ancient and most powerful rulers on Earth, and I am the greatest of them all, FOR I HAVE CONQUERED THE UNIVERSE!”

  He shouted this last proclamation so fiercely through his ailing lungs and throat that he choked and doubled himself over in a coughing fit. When he regained his composure, he stared at the camera with a hard look.

  “I have one more demand. If you wish to avoid being destroyed, you will turn over to me Admiral Tibby and his cohort named A’Lappe. Anyone harboring or helping him will be tortured and killed in the most painful way possible. Anyone who turns him over to me will be rewarded and will remain in my favor. I wish to receive them both alive. Do not harm them. Be certain both of them are alive when you turn them over to me.”

  He broke into another scratchy, psychotic giggle that ended in another coughing fit. Then the vid screen went blank.

  Marranalis and the security team looked at me, expecting me to say something or offer some direction, but there was nothing I could say.

  “I’m going to go check on Jenira. Let me know if you find out anything about Lunnie and Reide,” I said as I got out of my chair and headed out the door.

  I arrived at the med unit to find two of Jenira’s Women with Swords attending to her. They said she had awakened earlier for a few moments and then fell back to sleep. I didn’t see Kala anywhere, which surprised me, as I had expected her to be there watching over Jenira.

  “Where’s Kala?” I asked.

  “We don’t know. She called us about thirty minutes ago and asked us to come and care for Jenira. She said she had something important to attend to. When we arrived she left quickly. She seemed very upset.”

  I went to our suite, hoping to find her there, but there was no sign that she had been there. I tried to call her on my comlink, but there was no response. Finally, I called Kerabac.

  “Kerabac, I can’t find Kala and she’s not answering her com. Can you check the ship’s computer and locate her for me?”

  “Certainly. Stand by.” Moments passed before Kerabac returned with a concerned tone in his voice. “Tibby, this is strange, but the ships computer isn’t finding her anywhere.”

  “Check the recordings of the area around the med unit and track her from there.”

  “Checking now,” Kerabac answered. Again I waited.

  “Oh no,” said Kerabac.

  “What? What is it?”

  “Tibby, she went to the Cantolla Gate hub and talked to one of the security officers there. It looks like they had some kind of argument, but he finally opened the gate to your estate and she went through.”

  “WHAT?!” How long ago was that?!

  “About thirty minutes ago.”

  I raced to the secured gate to the estate and confronted the guard. “Kala… she was here and went through the gate to the estate?”

  “Yes, almost thirty minutes ago,” he answered.

  “Why did you let her go?! I ordered all the gates to remain closed! No one was to come or go!”

  “Yes, sir. But it was Kalana and her word carries as much weight as yours does on the NEW ORLEANS, at least it always has.”

  I was angry, but it was true. Kala had always been able to give orders in my stead unchallenged on the yacht or at the estate.

  “Alright. Did she say why she was going?”

  “Something about going to get Lunnie. That was all she said. She ordered me to shut the gate behind her as soon as she was through.”

  I called Marranalis on my comlink. “Marranalis, Kala has gone to the estate. What’s the status of the conflict on Megelleon?”

  “Oh no, Tibby. We just received word that your estate has been destroyed. It came under attack several hours ago, but the RMFF shield that A’Lappe had placed over the grounds held off the Brotherhood for a long time. Unfortunately, it weakened and finally failed just within the past twenty minutes. A handful of your security squads held out to the end. They were reporting in when the Brotherhood found and killed them.”

  “Did they mention anything about Kala or Lunnie?”

  “They mentioned that Lunnie had made it to the estate and was evacuating people, but they didn’t mention Kala.”

  “Lunnie made it! Thank the stars! You said evacuate? Evacuate how and to where?”

  “I don’t know sir. The guard never had a chance to say, as he was killed in mid-sentence.”

  My mind raced. Where? Where would Lunnie have taken people for refuge? The Cantolla Gate Stations were under the control of the Brotherhood, so any of the normal routes weren’t available, and for some reason she didn’t bring them through the private gate to the NEW ORLEANS. Maybe she was hiding them in the forest, but that would be a poor choice, as the infrared sensors of the enemy ships would spot them in a second. Lunnie knew that. There wasn’t a ship large enough at the estate to carry all the residents and employees, and they’d never make it through the armadas of ships surrounding the planet, all of which were now under Brotherhood control. So where did they go? And what about Kala? Where was Reide? I was suddenly feeling weak and my head was pounding.

  I called Marranalis. “Is there any word about Reide?”

  “No, sir,” he said in a bleak tone. “But you should know… the Capitol Station was just totally destroyed.”

  I swallowed hard. If Reide had been the helping senators and Leaders to escape the secret Cantolla Gates, perhaps he was someplace safe on one of their worlds. I could only hope he had made it somehow. Lunnie had. I had to tell myself there was always a chance they would get through this. They were both smart kids. Kids? Who was I kidding? They were adults now and very capable ones at that.

  I was jarred from my spinning thoughts when my com beeped.

  “Tibby here,” I answered.

  “Tibby, you need to get in here immediately. Ming is placing a call to you.”

  First I had to figure out where I was. I was so exhausted and terrified for my family that I had wandered away from the Cantolla Gate while I tried to sort out my thoughts. Once I was oriented again, I raced to the War Room to find Ming’s sick and evil face bearing down on me from the vid screen. He grinned as I came into view.

  “Well, now, Tibby. The tide has turned, has it not?” he gloated in a melodious tone. Then his grin turned to a vicious scowl and his voice hissed as he frothed from the mouth, “You’ve been a thorn in my side since we met!” Then returning to his evil cheer, he giggled and asked, “Tell me, Tibby, how are you enjoying defeat?”

  “Ming, you’re evil to the core. I hope you die and rot in hell!”

  Ming laughed. “Rot in hell? The Federation doesn’t have a hell, Tibby.”

  “They do now and you’re the one making it,” I spat.

  “Now, now, Tibby. It is not wise to anger your Emperor and God,” he giggled.

  “You will never be my Emperor or my God,” I said angrily.

  “Oh, but I will, Tibby, I will, and you will do everything I ask of you.”

  “Ming, you’re a lunatic and you’re even madder than any of the doctors said you were, if you believe I’m going to answer to you.”

  Ming seemed oblivious to any venom I could come up with. He held all the power. He could inflict all the pain, all the torture. He knew he could get anything and everything he wanted.

  �
�Tibby, here is what you’re going to do,” Ming grinned and giggled. “You are going to surrender to me and you will bring A’Lappe with you. The two of you are going to lead me to the source of the solbidnite.”

  “Oh really? And just what will you do when I don’t?”

  “Oh, you will. Because if you don’t, I will destroy dozens of worlds. I will release deadly toxins on thousands of worlds. And I will make your bondmate, Kalana, suffer in ways you cannot begin to imagine,” he said as the camera view switched to a scene where Kala was restrained in shackles and surrounded by guards.

  “KALA-A-A-!” I shouted, but she couldn’t hear me.

  “Tisk, tisk, Tibby,” said Ming in English. “She can’t hear you. But if you please me, perhaps I will allow you to speak to her briefly.”

  “What do you want, Ming?!” I asked with anger.

  “I’ve already told you. You and A’Lappe will surrender to me and you will lead me to the solbidnite, but first you will address me as My Emperor. If you do these things, I will allow you to briefly speak with Kalana.”

  “Very well, My Emperor, now let me speak to Kalana!”

  “Now, now, Tibby, that wasn’t very nice. You will have to learn to speak to me in a more humble and respectful tone, otherwise I will have to instruct my guards to hurt Kalana.

  My head pounded with rage and exhaustion and I struggled to keep my voice from wavering.

  “Very well, My Emperor. May I please speak to Kalana?”

  “Hmm. That was only mildly improved. Perhaps if you get down on the floor and prostrate yourself and beg again, I will consider it,” said Ming, mocking me and reveling in my agony.

  I got down on the floor, boiling with hatred, but I would do anything for Kala.

  “Please, oh magnificent Ming, My Emperor, Ruler of All the Universe, allow this humble one to speak with Kalana.”

  “My, my! Such an improvement from just moments ago! There may be hope for you. I’m sure you could do better and will in the future, but for now it will suffice. I will allow you to speak to Kalana for a few minutes,” he giggled his sick, raspy laugh again.

  “Kala, can you hear me?” I asked as the vid screen showed her image again.

  “Tib,” she cried. “I’m so sorry! I went to look for Lunnie at the estate, but everyone was gone and Ming’s men captured me. Tibby, don’t do anything Ming asks of you. Do what you must to save the Federation. I made a mistake… a terrible mistake! Don’t abandon the Federation for me!”

  “Kala, be strong. I’ll get you out of this mess… I –”

  The screen went blank for a moment before Ming’s image reappeared.

  “Sorry, Tibby but that’s all the time you get. I’ll give you two hours to respond to my request. You surrender yourself to me with A’Lappe and I will release your Kalana unharmed. If you do not surrender, I will turn her over to my men for their pleasure – and I assure you her life will then be a hell worse than you can imagine. You have two hours to make your decision.” The vid screen went blank.

  “Tibby, you aren’t going to do it are you?” asked Marranalis.

  “I don’t have any choice, but I can’t ask A’Lappe to go along with this. I don’t know what to do.” I felt like I was about to black out.

  “Tibby, you know Ming won’t let Kala go, and if you surrender yourself, he’ll just torture and kill you too.”

  “Perhaps,” I said. “But what other choice do I have? I’ll be in my study, if you get any word on Reide or Lunnie.”

  I dragged myself out of the War Room, barely able to hold my head up, as I made my way through the corridors. It seemed to take forever to get to our suite. Fear, grief, defeat, rage and physical pain churned inside me like a tornado, sapping the last of my physical strength.

  I made it to the study and leaned against the large fish tank, staring into it without really focusing on anything. What was going to happen? What could I do? I saw no choices. I would surrender to Ming. I didn’t care what happened to me, but I couldn’t ask A’Lappe to surrender himself with me. Perhaps I could tell him to escape in his little ship. I would tell Ming he had fled and I didn’t know where he’d gone and Ming would just accept me in exchange for Kala. Perhaps. But I knew Ming better than that. He would never accept such a compromise. I just didn’t know what to do. I took a deep breath and realized that there was a scent of cedar in the air. I turned around to see A’Lappe sitting in one of the chairs before my desk.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “What do you think?” asked A’Lappe. “You can’t very well expect us to surrender to Ming if I’m not here.”

  “A’Lappe, I can’t ask you to do that. You should get in your ship and go. I’ll tell Ming you escaped and he’ll just have to take me alone instead.”

  “First of all, you didn’t ask me. I made the choice on my own. Secondly, we both know what will happen if I flee. Tibby, you and Kalana have been my family and my friends for years. You have protected me and allowed me to live here on the ship. I want to do this, not as compensation for what you have done for me, but because the two of you mean everything to me. Besides, I have an idea as to how we can kill Ming.”

  A’Lappe’s last words seized my attention. “I’m listening,” I said.

  “May I first suggest, Tibby, that you sit down over there and eat the food I had Piesew prepare while you struggled to get here. You’re exhausted and about to collapse, and if you’re going to have the treatment that’s coming due, we have to work on getting your strength up.”

  We moved to a table set up near the fireplace and I did my best to eat, but I had very little appetite. Even though A’Lappe insisted I eat before receiving my next treatment, I was barely able to comply, as my belly was too full of grief and sorrow.

  “You know Ming is not going to let us live. He wants the solbidnite and he may try to extract any knowledge he can from me, and for that he’ll enjoy making you suffer for a while. But in the end, Ming knows he can’t afford to allow either of us to live. We’ve thwarted him too often and the risk is too great that we might escape, so once he’s certain he has the location of the solbidnite, he’ll kill us.”

  “So how does that benefit us or free Kala?” I asked.

  “Once we surrender, we refuse to lead him to the solbidnite until Kalana is freed. The truth is that you and I are goners, unless a miracle happens, but at least Kalana will be free. As for what happens next… well… Ming wants us to lead him to the solbidnite, not tell him where it is or show him where it is, but lead him to it. That terminology is very important. Ming doesn’t trust anyone, especially his own people; hence the slave collars, implanted body-bombs and instilled drug addiction as means of controlling his subjects. It certainly won’t be the case that he’ll send his lackeys off to follow us to the power and wealth that the solbidnite represents. If he did, they might turn it against him. No, he will insist on going himself to make sure he’s not betrayed by his own men. That’s where we get him – at the source of the solbidnite. The solbidnite is found in a nebula-like cloud, a field of dark sand-like particles covering a vast area of space. The reason it’s so difficult to find is that it emits no light or heat signature, so it’s more or less invisible to most telescopes and detection devices. It’s simply a dark space against a dark background.”

  “So how does that help us?” I asked. “I mean, if Ming is with us we can’t get away.”

  “I’m not talking about getting away, Tibby. I’m talking about killing Ming. It’s unlikely he would let either of us get close enough to him to do that in any typical way. But in the solbidnite field we would be able to destroy him and anyone or anything in the vicinity. You must remember, Tibby, even one grain of solbidnite is a tremendous source of energy. If we were to somehow discharge a high-powered laser weapon or detonate a GW torpedo inside that vast field, the entire cloud would ignite in a giant nebula flare, like a star going nova. Understand, of course, we’d be killed instantly, but so would Ming and everyone
who is with him.”

  “Great,” I said. I was prepared to die to save Kala, but this scenario was almost more than my brain could fathom. If A’Lappe was right, Ming would bring his entire entourage and probably the entire fleet of captured Federation ships, along with his usual hive of protective warships. I tried to visualize them all being vaporized at once. “How do you propose we get our hands on a laser or GW torpedo? Ming surely isn’t going to allow us to get close to any armaments or weapon controls,” I said.

  “I haven’t worked that part out yet. It doesn’t have to be a laser or torpedo explosion. Any strong source of energy can set it off. We’ll have time to figure that out en route. Our journey will take several days.”

  I sat for a moment and thought about Kala and the children. Their lives were all that mattered. “So we’re going to die? You and I?” I said.

  “It looks that way. We can’t live forever, Tibby, and dying this way will be a lot easier for you than facing the future that lies ahead with your nerve degeneration.”

  “I guess you’re right. I have to say, though, I never thought my life would end this way.” As I thought about it, a sense of peace overcame me, knowing that there was finally a solution in sight that would bring an end to Ming and the Brotherhood terror. But I was also gripped with an overwhelming loneliness at the thought of looking at Kala for the last time as she was freed, knowing I would never see her or touch her again. I tried to push the thought from my mind.

  “So tell me, what you think happens after you, I and Ming are gone?”

  “The Brotherhood organization will, without a doubt, disintegrate rapidly. What’s left of it may break up into several small bands of marauders, but they will be of a size the Federation will be able to handle, even in its severely weakened state. Those groups will likely even turn on each other and eventually deteriorate into nothing more than common thieves and pirates,” said A’Lappe.

  The two of us sat silently for a time, taking in the totality of the war, the defeat, and what was yet at stake.