Imperium: Coda: Book Three in the Imperium Trilogy

by Paul M Calvert

  Adam stood up, resting hands on his father’s shoulders, “But I’m nowhere ready enough. Less than a year ago I was this irresponsible young man who cared little for anything other than myself and having fun. No, father, I’m not equipped to take over the Empire. Not yet.”

  “Do you think I was any different, son?” Alexander responded, “My family was murdered during my testing, and I had to take back my birthright without any guidance other than Vimes and Patrick to stop me from making mistakes. No, you are almost ready, trust me on this.”

  Alexander broke away from his son and sat on the edge of a large armchair. “I’m tired, Adam, and there is a deep sadness in my bones. I know the pain is still raw and fresh and that time is a great healer, and all the other bullshit people say when you lose someone dear, but with your mother it was different.”

  Alexander looked up at his son, tears welling in his eyes, finding it hard to hold the emotion in check, “You felt the emotional bond with Karen that the link with Vimes brings, didn’t you? That’s how you both finally knew you were right for each other. Your mother and I were even closer, son, trust me. Imagine how close you get with someone after eight decades of that. I feel like a part of my very soul has been ripped away.” Alexander sniffed and roughly wiped away the moisture from his eyes, “My mind is made up on this. Once Frederick has been dealt with, the Empire is yours to do with as you will. I will stay around long enough to see out a smooth transition of power, then will get out of your hair.”

  Shocked at this revelation, Adam rose and began pacing, moving over to the display, just as his father had done moments before, trying to make sense of what he had heard. From behind him, Alexander began speaking again.

  “Son, you need to make a decision. We can end this rebellion relatively quickly, saving billions of innocent lives in the process, but…”

  Adam interrupted, finishing the sentence for him, “But we will need to reveal our biggest secret and change the Empire forever.” He turned to look at his father. “That’s the choice, isn’t it? All the upheaval, rebuilding and rewriting the rules, all of that will fall to me, that’s what you are saying, isn’t it?”

  Alexander nodded, “That’s why the choice has to be yours to make, Adam. You will be the one having to put all the pieces of the Empire back together again. We can either fight a long battle of attrition against a navy and population who don’t know they are being manipulated, or end it relatively quickly by cutting off the head and revealing the truth. It is your decision to make now, son, not mine.”

  Part of Adam wanted to argue with his father about how unfair this was to pass the decision over to him in this way, yet at the same time, another part was excited at the opportunity and what he could achieve for the Empire. Torn between the two, Adam remained silent, although he did seek the advice of Vimes.

  “What should I do?” he asked his companion, already anticipating what the answer might be. For a brief instant, Vimes said nothing, then when the answer came, it wasn’t what he was expecting.

  “You have a good heart, Adam. Follow what it is telling you. As you have said yourself, two rebellions in one lifetime means something isn’t working in the Empire. Perhaps Frederick has a point, insofar as the Empire needs to grow and face new challenges.”

  Adam tried to weigh up all the options in his mind, but the sheer complexity of what was needed worried him, but it was the thought of those billions of lives he now held in his hand which concerned him the most. Maintaining the status quo by keeping the secret Jump technology hidden was by far the easiest option, but would eventually leave vast areas of the Empire devastated by war and vulnerable to attack from outside. The number of outsiders who had joined with Frederick concerned him and probably his father too, a worrying development. Usually cautious and wary of provoking the Empire, that these rival empires and races felt bold enough to attack was a disturbing sign that the Empire might be perceived as being weak and vulnerable to attack. A long drawn out civil war would simply reinforce that view.

  He looked again at the wall display, automatically seeking out his command. He walked over to it, reaching out and touching where his ship was indicated, almost as if he was trying to feel the lives of the thousands under his command. Sighing deeply, Adam turned around to face his father.

  “I need more time to decide, father. It’s just too much for me to absorb right now. How long do I have to decide?”

  “A month, but no more,” answered Alexander, “Using the surveillance drones I’ve already begun spreading dissent and confusion amongst Frederick’s supporters by disseminating the truth of what has happened.” The wall image changed, showing the rebel-held systems again. He pointed to the wall. “Vimes assures me he should be able to link into most of their planetary information and entertainment networks for brief periods. Once enough people learn the truth I have no doubt support for Frederick and the rebels will quickly wane, leaving him no option but to crack down hard, further destabilising his position and eroding his power base.”

  Adam nodded, a small smile on his face. “Won't that put the drones at risk of detection. What if they trace them?”

  Alexander shook his head, returning the smile. “No. If detected, they’ll Jump to a new location within the system. Without knowledge of the secret drive, they’ll never be able to get close to any of them or figure out where they went.”

  The smile left Alexander’s face as quickly as it had appeared. “Adam, you need to decide as soon as you can. The longer you wait, the more desperate the rebels will become, and the more innocent lives will be lost.”

  Behind Adam the wall changed again, showing a familiar star system, dominated by a dirty orange coloured gas giant and two large ringed planets. He turned around to look at the projection.

  “That’s in the young Duke James’s Sector, isn’t it?” he asked, recognising the system but quickly checking with Vimes for more information,

  “It is and right next door to Duke Frederick’s Sector, too,” replied Alexander, “Without Duchess Helena’s help, the Sector would have already fallen to Frederick. As it is, the drones I sent out confirm several dozen planets in Sector 11 have already fallen, and it is just a matter of time before the others follow. Helena is already hard pressed to keep control of her own Sector and can’t be expected to spread herself any more thinly.”

  “You want me to go there?” Adam asked, anticipating what his father wanted.

  “Yes, son, I want you to take half of the new fleet we have here and make for the main rebel-held system there, called Boskone. Admiral Frith will transfer her flag to INS Britannia and accompany you. Her experience will be invaluable. Why there? We need to strike closer to Fredericks' heart, forcing him to reinforce Kiyami with as many of his regular forces as possible. He would be a fool to trust the other empires, so instead, he will use them to suppress the populace as they begin rising up against him, something the Marines would never do.”

  “And when I get there, what do you want me to do?” asked Adam, “Is the Jump Station operational or will I have to create a fiction as to how we managed to Jump into a destabilised point?”

  “It remains open for now, but you will need to overcome the Station.” Alexander moved closer to the wall and tapped his finger against a magnified image of the Jump station. “It won’t be easy as the Station is old, large and very powerful. We know the main planet is heavily fortified and the system is being used as a major armament factory. There is an important space yard orbiting one of the two gas giants. Taking this and the system back from the rebellion will be a major undertaking. Once another Sector falls to us, some or all of the rebel nobility may wish to break with Frederick and seek the terms I offered Duke McEvitt.”

  “Really, you would offer them the same terms?” Adam asked, surprised at his father’s willingness to let them live. “What if Frederick asks for the same?”

  “Son, if it can save the lives of our people then I’m willing to let those Dukes and Duchesses who
turned against me leave the Empire.” Alexander’s face hardened, taking on an unfamiliar appearance, a thin, hard smile creasing his lips, “But Fredrick’s mine; make no mistake about that. I have plans in mind for that bastard. No, he alone is mine.”

  The look on Alexander’s face vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced with his more familiar, gentler aspect. He smiled again, this time one of affection, tinged with humour.

  “Now, please report to Admiral Frith before returning to your ship and act on the orders Vimes has prepared. As befits your position, you will shortly be promoted through the ranks to that of my second-in-command, but Janice wishes to have a few words with you about disrespecting a senior officer before your promotion is made public. She felt it would be more appropriate before she becomes your second in command.”

  Adam winced slightly, further increasing his father’s smile, something he’d earlier feared he might never see again. “Really?” he asked.

  “Yes, son, really.” Alexander suddenly reached over and pulled his son close, resting his head on Adam’s shoulder, hugging him hard as if scared he would never see him again. “Keep safe, Adam, you are all I have left in this universe, so make damn sure you come back to me. Promise?”

  Adam returned the hug, sharing his father’s emotional pain, for the moment not worried about the future, just overwhelmed with affection for him, the two men missing the same woman in different ways.

  An hour later, a somewhat chastened but excited Adam was accelerating his shuttle hard towards INS Britannia, safely cushioned in an acceleration seat and eager to get back to his command as soon as possible. Admiral Frith had given Adam the expected reprimand for his earlier behaviour and not respecting the chain of command, then congratulated him on being given command of the second fleet. She gave him a long list of reports he had to familiarise himself with then sent him on his way. Vimes had downloaded the revised terms of engagement and Adam had spent much of the past half an hour studying the real-time intelligence reports being relayed by the hidden drone along with expert analysis of the Station’s offensive and defensive systems.

  Neither his father nor Admiral Frith had overstated the capabilities of the system he had been tasked to bring back into the loyalist fold. Even with the new ships, shields and weapons, they would be hard-pressed to take the Jump Station before rebel reinforcements arrived from in-system to reinforce it. He and Frith had only a few days to come up with a plan of attack, and while they had discussed several options after his dressing down, neither of them had found a better option than simply slugging it out.

  Adam dismissed the reports, the holographic displays fading away. He wanted to rub his eyes, but the doubled gravity made the effort too much trouble, so he tried to relax and let his mind go blank for a while…

  “Wake up, Adam, we are about to dock with Britannia,” the voice of Vimes brought Adam back from a dream filled sleep where he and Karen had been arguing about his plans for their future. Within seconds he couldn’t recall the details, and all that remained of the dream was a vague sense of unease. Shaking off the feeling, he noted Vimes had manoeuvred the shuttle to give him a good view of his command as they approached it from the rear. Britannia stretched out into the distance, dominating nearby space, it’s hull sleek and black. As they closed, Adam could see the bulges and indentations which marked multiple weapon systems, several of them tracking his approach. Ahead, a small crack of light appeared in the hull, rapidly widening to show the shuttle bay where Vimes was heading. Seconds later, the shuttled trembled, marking the transition through Britannia’s multiple shields. Impatient to be back and meet with his senior officers, Adam left his chair and was already standing by the exit when he noticed the almost imperceptible bump when the shuttle docked.

  “You’re losing your touch, Vimes,” he thought to his companion, anticipating the immediate riposte.

  “In your dreams, boy,” Vimes whispered in his mind. “This bay is now pressurised, so leave at your convenience. The senior staff are waiting in your ready room and instructions have already been issued by Admiral Frith to split the fleet in readiness for departure.”

  The door opened, allowing Adam to walk down the steps and over to the hanger’s entrance into the living areas. Around him, personnel were already checking the shuttle, working through checklists to ready it for launch again. Ignoring them, Adam saluted the small Marine contingent waiting to escort him. Returning their salutes, he marched off towards the transit tube, taking only two with him, instructing the rest to return to their regular duties.

  “What’s the ship’s scuttlebutt saying?” he asked the Marine sitting opposite him in the tube, taking the man by surprise.

  “Er, word’s getting around that the rebels aren’t exactly, well, rebels, Highness,” came the nervous reply. “And that they were fed false information via their implants. The only one’s really in the know were some of the higher ups. Is that true?”

  Adam nodded. “Yes, it’s looking that way from what we know so far.” Adam turned to the other Marine, “And you?”

  “Pretty much the same thing, Sir,” he replied, “It’s awful how they might have been betrayed. I’d hate to be in their position when they find out.”

  Adam nodded, gesturing them to leave the tube first when they arrived at their destination. Walking toward his ready-room, Adam continued the conversation.

  “Yes, I wouldn’t like to be Frederick or any of the traitorous nobles when their populations find out what has happened.” On reaching the entrance, Adam turned to the two Marines and instructed them to remain outside, then walked in, acknowledging the salutes and greetings from the assembled officers, Britannia’s AI having warned them of his approach.

  Adam gestured for them to sit down, taking a position at the head of the long table which had been specially formed for the unusually large gathering. He didn’t bother to sit down and looked out at the assembled men and women, noting the looks of anticipation on their faces, feeling both pleased yet humbled at their reaction to him. For a moment, his mind went back to the recent conversation with his father, and he realised that in a relatively short space of time, instead of loyal officers, he might be addressing thirty-five Sector Nobles as their Emperor, discussing the Empire’s future under his rule.

  He took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then released it slowly, giving him time to think what to say.

  “You will have all seen the orders from Admiral Frith to split the fleet and for us to proceed immediately to the Jump Statio. Once there, we will await further reinforcements which will arrive shortly after we do. I am pleased to report Britannia has been confirmed as the fleet’s flagship and the Admiral will shortly be transferring her flag to us.”

  At this news, several began to talk, but Adam motioned to them to be quiet, before continuing.

  “Although the Admiral will be here, the Emperor will be announcing my advancement to that of his second-in-command with overall command of the second fleet. Admiral Frith will be my second. I will be sending you all details of our new objective, so please be patient.” Adam stopped, composing himself for what he had to say next.

  “As a courtesy, I am giving to you advanced warning of what happened recently in another part of the Empire. It will shortly be made general knowledge, but I wanted you to hear it from me first. A few days ago, my mother, Empress Christine, was assassinated by an agent of Duke Frederick while on a diplomatic mission to the Felidae Empress.”

  Before he could say or explain anything further, the room erupted into noise, most of the officers standing up, a few remaining seated but holding their heads in shock. Adam waited for the noise to abate, noting many were almost in tears, their reaction to the news mirroring his own. Motioning them to be seated and for quiet, Adam continued, looking to answer what he expected to be many questions.

  “The Felidae Empress has reassured Duke Gallagher the borders are safe and will be respected as before, despite the assassination taking place i
n Felidae space. My mother’s body is on its way back to Capital, where it will lie in state until arrangements for a proper funeral have been made. The assassin has been apprehended and dealt with appropriately. I am not at liberty to say anything else now, but I am relying on you all to keep morale high once the news becomes public.”

  Adam sat down, letting the noise of the room flow over him, quietly acknowledging the personal messages coming into his implant from everyone in the room.

  SCENE 9, IMPERIAL PALACE, CAPITAL

  Rebecca awoke, and eyes closed, reached across to the other side of the bed, her hand searching for Francis. Feeling nothing there and noting the absence of the warmth from his body, she opened her eyes, looking around the room for him.

  The early morning sun had almost crept above the horizon, bathing the room in a soft, yellow-orange warmth. Standing naked by the huge picture window, Francis’s powerful and trim body was silhouetted against the light. Rebecca took in the sight, feeling a rush of warmth to her belly as she did so, remembering the previous night and how they had fallen into bed, laughing at some silly joke she could not remember anymore.

  A slight turn of his head indicated he had heard her wake, so she got out of bed and padded softly over to him, her bare feet warmed by the heated carpet underfoot. She pressed her naked body into his back, wrapping her arms around his midriff with a gentle squeeze, looking past him to see what he was looking at.

  Francis smiled and reached behind, gently propelling her to stand next to him on his right.

  “Francis, what are you looking at?” Rebecca asked, keeping her left arm firmly in place around his waist. “Is there something I’m not seeing or should look for?”