Scions of Change

by Amy DuBoff

  “Your commitment has been recorded and ratified, the Dynasties of Sietinen and Dainetris are now joined,” the judge stated, his tone taking on a hint of wonder as he uttered the name of the long-lost seventh High Dynasty.

  That’s it? Raena glanced at the others in the room, but no one moved. “Okay, then.”

  “Are they waiting for us to kiss, because just having three of your grandparents staring at us…”

  “Yeah, not gonna happen,” Raena agreed. She took Ryan’s hand and nodded to the judge. “You heard him, the wedding is a done deal. Let’s get to those conversations that need doing.”

  “Right.” Cris agreed. “We have less than thirteen hours until the assembly. We’ll check in at 06:00.”

  Marina and Kate came forward and gave Raena and Ryan hugs, wishing them congratulations and officially welcoming Ryan into the family. While they were exchanging words, the judge showed himself out of the room.

  Cris lingered after the two women left to attend to their tasks. “Take some time for yourselves tonight. All the action items are on us—just meet up with us at 06:00.”

  “Are you sure?” Raena asked.

  “Positive. Get some cake and enjoy the moment. You just got married, for stars’ sake!”

  Raena smiled at her new husband. “I won’t argue.”

  Ryan squeezed her hand. “Thank you,” he said to Cris.

  “Gladly. See you in a few hours.” Cris hurriedly departed to speak with Wil about the final preparations.

  When they were alone, Raena gazed into Ryan’s eyes. “I’ll be the best partner I can be to you. I’ll love you always.”

  “And I to you. I love you.”

  With no audience present, there was no reason to hold back with the next kiss.

  * * *

  Cris’ capacity to appear calm was nearing its breaking point. Restoring the Dainetris name, crash-landing after a would-be aerial assault, a wedding… This has been one foking night so far.

  And it was far from over.

  Cris took a series of calming breaths as he traversed the hall to his office. He hoped his statement earlier that Wil would only need a couple hours was, in fact, true. He also hoped Wil would forgive him for making him miss his own daughter’s wedding.

  The central administrative office was abuzz at full staffing levels despite the late hour. As Cris passed through the room, he overheard snippets of video conversations with reporters asking why the Tararian Guard had encircled the estate. As yet, no word about Dainetris had leaked, but it was just a matter of time.

  Pretty soon, it won’t just be a handful of ships surrounding the estate. The TSS and Tararian Guard might have to go head-to-head. He hated the idea of having to engage in a civil war, but anyone who still stood with the Priesthood after all evidence became public would demonstrate a disregard for ethics too dissimilar for them to coexist peacefully. The opposition would either have to leave the Taran worlds or would be forcibly removed—lethally, if it came to it. Such were the grim realities of war.

  Cris spotted Marina in her office next to his, and she paused her video call. “Assembly time is set,” she affirmed.

  “Good. I’ll come find you when I’m finished here.”

  Marina resumed her conversation and Cris entered his office, closing the door behind him.

  The space was largely unchanged since when it had been his father’s, aside from some updated furnishings. Cris had always enjoyed the view out the arched window at the back of the room, and even at night it afforded a spectacular view of Sieten below.

  After taking a few minutes to gather his thoughts while staring out the window, Cris initiated a call directly to Wil’s handheld, figuring he’d likely be in his quarters at that hour.

  It took a full minute for Wil to answer, voice only. “Hey, Dad, what’s up?”

  “It’s started,” Cris said. “Everything’s been accelerated.”

  “How accelerated?”

  “Ryan’s position has been ratified, and the two Dynasties have been legally joined,” Cris replied, bracing for his son’s reaction.

  “You had a wedding without us?” Wil exclaimed.

  “They what?” Saera shouted in the background.

  “I know, I—” Cris cut off as the voice call switched to holographic video.

  Wil and Saera sat on the couch in the quarters, glaring at the camera.

  “Having the wedding tonight wasn’t part of the plan,” Wil said.

  “You had no right to move ahead without telling us—you could have at least had a video feed!” Saera added.

  Cris was relieved she couldn’t reach through the holographic projector and attack him. “I would have, but things have been a little hectic. The Tararian Guard decided to pay us a visit on our way back home. Everything’s about to go public. Marina grabbed one of the judicial chancellors and he conducted the quickest wedding I’ve ever seen—it was over and done in a minute.”

  “And still, you didn’t call us,” Wil glowered.

  “You missed nothing more than signing a legal document, I assure you. We can have a proper celebration when all this is over,” Cris insisted. “Now listen: as soon as the Dainetris reinstatement becomes public record at 08:00, things around here are going to go from chaotic to a total shiteshow. If the Tararian Guard is already up in arms, you better bet things will turn nasty really quick once they learn what’s going on. People will pick their loyalties and we won’t have a lot of time to sway the public sentiment in our favor.”

  “The facts will lead people in the right direction,” Saera said.

  “I have no doubt about that, but the Priesthood might not allow it to come down to rational choices,” Cris countered. “We still have no idea if they have a neurotoxin in play that could turn the entire population against us in an instant. Are the Aesir standing by to assist?”

  Wil hesitated. “That’s the plan.”

  “The Aesir are still on board to help us, right?” Cris questioned.

  “Let me worry about that,” Wil evaded. “The TSS is ready to mobilize. We’ll be standing by to respond if there are any uprisings.”

  Saera nodded. “We’ll have an eye out for signs of a neurotoxin. Our teams have been trained in how to control groups under such influences, as best as we can prepare.”

  “All right, I’ll leave you to it,” Cris agreed. What’s going on with the Aesir? I thought we could trust that alliance. Stars, I hope we’re not on our own! “The High Dynasty assembly is set for 09:00. We’ll take the official vote then.”

  “Good luck,” Wil said. “We’ll talk to you on the other side.”

  “Good luck to you, too.” We’re all going to need it.

  CHAPTER 15

  By 06:00, Cris was feeling the lack of sleep from working through the night. However, his efforts had paid off and the final groundwork was in place for the High Dynasty assembly in three hours’ time. His fellow conspirators would be arriving for their check-in at any moment.

  A stim strip dissolved on Cris’ tongue as he leaned back in the chair around the conference table, savoring the sudden surge of energy and clarity as the chemicals worked their magic.

  Soft knocking sounded on the door, and Raena and Ryan entered.

  “Hey, newlyweds,” Cris greeted. “Sorry to start your married lives with such drama.”

  Raena grinned. “Are you kidding? I can’t think of a better wedding present than ousting the Priesthood.”

  There is no doubt she was born for this role. Cris beamed. “That is a gift I will happily give you.”

  “And here I was going to settle for a few days on Alushia,” Ryan jested.

  “That can be arranged, too,” Cris told him.

  “Oh, goodness, yes—please spend some time on Alushia together after this is over!” Kate said as she entered, catching the tail end of Cris’ offer. “You’ve earned it.”

  “When we’re successful, we’ll have way too much to do in the coming months to get a vacation anytim
e soon,” Raena replied with audible regret. “But, it’s nice to know it’s there when we can get away.”

  “It’s going to take some time to get used to traveling in style,” Ryan said. “Or vacations at all, for that matter.”

  “Hearing you say that makes me realize we need to take a look at the Ward program,” Cris reflected.

  Kate nodded. “Back to the present now, though. I had a productive conversation with my brother.”

  “Right, yes. What did he have to say?” Raena asked.

  “I explained what happened with the council and our surprise to find the Tararian Guard after us. He was shocked about the Dainetris revelation, of course, but he told me he’d make some calls on our behalf in advance of the meeting this morning,” Kate replied.

  “He’s always come through for us—and his word is respected,” Cris said.

  She gave him a hopeful smile. “Now we need him more than ever. Last night’s events have painted us as aggressors. That is not an ideal public opinion environment in which to broach the kind of topics we must.”

  “We work with what we have,” Cris stated. “Now, where is Marina?”

  A moment later, the door swung open and his chief advisor entered. “Sorry I’m late,” Marina said. “These reporters won’t let up. I think one of the staffers let word of the High Dynasty meeting slip. The news networks are running with every possible theory you can imagine.”

  “Anything we should worry about?” Cris asked.

  “The prominent voices are leaning toward a revelation about some major political upset—the leading theory is that you’re resigning,” Marina said.

  Cris chuckled. “Well, won’t they be sorely disappointed.”

  “Doubtfully,” Marina replied with trained composure. “Public opinion of you was high until things went sideways last night.”

  “Then we can hold out another three hours until the formal release of our findings regarding the Priesthood,” Cris concluded. “Any other loose ends we need to tie up before then?”

  “Let’s go over the logistics for the assembly,” Marina suggested. “We’d planned on the dramatic reveal of Ryan bursting into the room in person, but it’s a little different now that it will be a holoconference.”

  “I’m more concerned about if they’ll take me seriously,” Ryan admitted.

  “Once we show them that Mark and the attestation from the council, they’ll have to,” Cris said. “So, let’s make it the best foking show we can.”

  They dove into planning the final details and dramatic cues to heighten the impact of key statements. Whether it was the stim or just pent up anticipation from decades of planning, Cris felt more energized than he had in years. He’d accomplished many things in his life, but if the coming hours proved successful, he would look back at these times as one of his greatest moments.

  By 08:30, the group was as rehearsed as they were going to get. They took a short break to eat and hydrate before the madness that would be the rest of their day.

  Cris found himself alone in the conference room with Kate as she reviewed her talking points one more time.

  “Can you believe this is finally happening?” he asked her.

  She looked up and shook her head. “Barely. Between the lack of sleep last night and all the build-up, I feel like I’m in a dream.”

  “I know the feeling.” He leaned back in his chair. “When I first proposed this idea to you all those years ago, I didn’t think we’d actually do it.”

  “We had to do it,” Kate said. “If we didn’t, no one else would.”

  “That’s true.”

  “Besides,” she gave him a coy smile, “the audacity of you even suggesting such an idea is one of the things that made me fall in love with you in the first place. And you knew it—you had to follow through.”

  “I also can’t argue with that.” He gazed at her, nothing but love in his heart for everything they had done and would continue to do together. “I never would have done this without you.”

  “Nor I without you.”

  Cris chuckled to himself. “Despite all the planning, nothing is going to go how we imagined, is it?”

  Kate scoffed. “Not a chance.”

  Raena and Ryan returned in short order. They’d changed into professional business attire suitable for the presentation.

  Ryan still seemed a tad uncomfortable in such clothing, but he was assured and relaxed so long as Raena was nearby. Now that he had aged to his mid-twenties, Cris occasionally caught him at an angle that reminded him of his father, Banks. Cris wished his mentor could have lived to see everything as it was today. He would have been so proud to know what a fine young man his son had grown up to be. And even more than that, he would have loved to see Tararia finally on the cusp of a renaissance. Without Banks’ contributions, many of the efforts now underway would have been impossible.

  Marina was the last to return from the break, but when she did, she brought with her an air of determination that restored everyone’s focus to the task at hand.

  “We have our assignments, we know our talking points, and we have the facts on our side. I have no illusions that this won’t get ugly, but we stay the course and push through,” Cris said.

  Raena nodded. “Game on.”

  “All right, initiating the holoconference.” Cris manipulated the controls on the touch-screen desktop and a simulated room appeared on the far side of the table.

  They had programmed the settings so viewers on the other end of the conference would see Cris seated at the head of the table with Raena to his left and Kate to his right. Marina and Ryan remained out of view for the time being.

  The three Sietinen representatives sat with their hands crossed on the tabletop while they waited for the other attendees to arrive.

  “Would a little punctuality hurt anyone?” Cris griped telepathically as the clock passed 09:03.

  “Everyone thinks they are the most important,” Kate replied with patience that only went as deep as the surface of her mind.

  At 09:05, a flurry of notifications appeared around the simulated table as the attendees began to arrive. Vaenetri and Talsari first, followed by Baellas, Makaris, and finally Monsari.

  “Hello,” Cris greeted the attendees when all were present. “Thank you for agreeing to meet on such short notice. It was critical for us all to convene.”

  “We’re eager to hear what you have to say,” Kaiden Vaenetri replied. “Especially considering the show last night.”

  “Yes, allow me to address the Tararian Guard’s presence at our estate,” Cris continued in response to the planned segue from his brother-in-law. “But, the explanation is tied to the larger matter we have gathered to discuss today: a pervasive corruption within the ranks of the Taran government, which must be rooted out if we’re to move forward as a people. The presence of those guards was in direct response to the parties in question being made aware that Sietinen was preparing to have this very conversation with you.”

  “We have no time for riddles,” Liam Makaris interjected.

  Cris had anticipated either he or Eduard Baellas would be impatient and want to jump ahead. “Very well, then let me speak plainly. We have asked you here to this meeting to present irrefutable information regarding the Priesthood’s corruption and the need to immediately and permanently remove the organization from power.”

  Byron Monsari burst out laughing. “You really have lost your mind!”

  “May I remind you,” Cris countered, “that we have evidence to support these claims. I am transmitting the relevant data packets now. I trust you will each have your staff validate the materials.”

  He paused while the High Dynasty representatives took time to scan through the list of charges against the Priesthood listed in the Executive Summary.

  “This is preposterous,” Eduard Baellas muttered. “Conspiracy, abduction, murder—genocide? The scope of these charges is inconsistent and, frankly, a reach.”

  “I would agree,
if the evidence did not support each of these claims,” Kate replied. “Please, send the packet for verification. I assure you, it’s all genuine.”

  “I’ve submitted mine,” Ellen Talsari said to Cris’ relief; it wouldn’t have looked good for Kaiden to be the first adopter at each juncture.

  The other Heads grumbled their consent and relayed the packets to their staff.

  “While that validation is in progress, I’ll give you some highlights,” Cris continued. “The story begins a little over a thousand years ago, back when the Priesthood was still a proper theological institution. They thought about things like the future of our race and how we could become our fullest selves. Well, some members of the Priesthood decided that the secret to advancement must be in our genetic code. They started experiments to see how we could become even better.”

  “There’s nothing illegal about that,” Liam stated.

  “No, agreed,” Cris replied. “But what you might find interesting is precisely which aspects of Tarans the Priesthood wished to advance—namely, strengthening telekinetic abilities.”

  “So, that’s how you came into being,” Byron sneered.

  “Oh, you misunderstand,” Cris shot back, glaring at the Monsari Head. “Back then, everyone had abilities. But the Priesthood’s experimentations didn’t go how they expected, and those abilities disappeared from all but a few.”

  “Good riddance,” Byron muttered under his breath.

  Cris ignored him. “Rather than admit any wrongdoing, they decided to make everyone forget. Just like they made everyone forget about the Bakzen. Just like Dainetris. And just like all of us if we don’t stop them right now.”

  “Are you suggesting the Priesthood is connected to the Bakzen and to the fall of the Dainetris Dynasty?” Ellen questioned.

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Cris confirmed. “I know it sounds preposterous, but the evidence is right there in front of you. The Priesthood made the Bakzen, then cast them aside and forced them to fight us when we threatened their way of life. When the Dainetris Dynasty uncovered this evidence of the wrongdoings we are now reviewing, the Priesthood condemned them to death and buried their city in an attempt to make the rest of us forget they ever existed.