Paying the Price (Book 5 of The Empire of Bones Saga)

by Terry Mixon

  She smiled sweetly at Ethan. “It’s good to see you, too! Yes, I really missed you. And I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”

  His expression grew even more thunderous. “Don’t toy with me. I demand to know why you helped Mertz build a platform to seize the throne.”

  She allowed her false cheer to slip away. “This is old and tiresome, Ethan. He’s not after your job. Frankly, I doubt there is anything he’d rather avoid more. We were wrong about him and you need to see that before you make an ass of yourself.”

  He stepped close to her, his expression more than a bit menacing. “Don’t tell me how to feel,” he said in a low voice. One that she’d have found threatening before her idea of threatening changed forever.

  Now Ethan didn’t even register on her danger meter. She knew he couldn’t hurt her. He would never intimidate her again.

  Kelsey stared into his eyes from only a few centimeters away. “You’re in my personal space. Move or I’ll move you.”

  The surprise in his expression was gratifying, but he didn’t back down. “Not until you see sense.”

  “Back up. In case you didn’t catch it, there’s an unspoken ‘or else’ attached to that.”

  “You always think you know better than me,” he sneered. “You’ve been nothing but soft and weak. Now he’s twisted everything in your mind until you think he’s on your side. Well, I’m not going to allow you to throw away our birthright so easily.”

  She put her hand on his chest and pushed gently. For her, that is. Ethan staggered back a few steps, shock written all over his face. She’d never had the physical strength to deter him before. Now she had enough to throw him through the wall if he made an ass of himself.

  “I’m not going to stand here and let you froth on about something you know nothing about,” she said coolly. “I’ve been right by Jared’s side for over a year. A time in which some very terrible things happened. You should do yourself a favor and read up on it. As the heir, you need to know.

  “One thing I can tell you without the slightest hint of doubt, though. Jared Mertz is an honorable man. One who has no designs on the Throne.”

  “Unbelievable,” he swore. “He got to you, too. I don’t care how long you were there, or what you think you saw, but he is the greatest threat to our inheritance that could possibly exist. Mertz has Imperial blood in his veins and he thinks that he can displace us. I won’t allow that to happen because you’ve lost your mind.”

  She laughed. “You think you know everything when all you really understand is this unreasoning hatred of yours. It’s worse than an obsession. You should see someone about it before other people—”

  Ethan lunged forward and grabbed her by her blouse, slamming her back into the wall. To be fair, she saw him coming, but chose to let him in.

  “You are not my equal,” he snarled. “You never wanted to rule and you don’t have the mettle for it anyway. So, don’t lecture me on strength. I’ll protect us and the Throne.”

  She looked down at his hand. “I allowed this to happen to make a point. I suggest you learn from it.”

  Kelsey barely had to bump her strength to get him moving. It was mostly skill she’d learned from Ned in his hand-to-hand training. In less than two seconds, she’d mashed Ethan’s face into the wall. She kept him there by jamming his arm up behind him.

  It felt surprisingly good.

  “This has gone too far, Ethan. You need to reassess this delusion. Jared isn’t after you or the Throne. If you keep making an ass of yourself, things will not end well.”

  Kelsey leaned forward until she could whisper up toward his ear. “And if you think you can push me around, you’re wrong. Keep your hands to yourself and go do some thinking.” She let him go and stepped back.

  He stared at her for a moment and then left without a single word.

  She sat on the arm of her couch. That could’ve gone better. She hoped she’d gotten through to him. That his own self-interest would keep him from doing something stupid.

  After all, what choice did he have? It wasn’t as if he could just order people to dispose of his problems.

  * * * * *

  Ethan almost staggered away from his sister’s room. Her physical changes shocked him, but not as much as her mental ones. Mertz had corrupted her. She was under his sway.

  Before she’d left, he never would have believed anyone could come between him and his twin. They’d been close since they could remember anything at all. He loved her.

  And she’d betrayed him. She’d become a threat to him and the Throne. She’d become an enemy to be dealt with.

  Oh, he wished he could change her mind, but now that she’d switched sides once, he could never trust that she wasn’t working against him again.

  He leaned his head against the wall and wept. It would break his heart, but he needed to neutralize her. Perhaps he didn’t have to kill her, though. If he could neutralize her as second in line to the Throne, then he could allow her to live. He owed her that much.

  Ethan straightened and headed for his rooms. He needed to calm down and then go speak with his father. Surely, he would see the truth this time.

  Mertz was the true threat to the Throne. Without him, Kelsey would fall in line.

  If not, he could reevaluate. If it became necessary, he would mourn, but the security of the Throne was more important than even his closest family.

  * * * * *

  Jared stepped into the conference room and nodded at the senior officers sitting around the table. He’d been dreading this board of inquiry for the last year. At least this would finally end his torture. One way or another.

  He recognized most of the officers, but not the man at the head of the table. A check of his implant memory told him it was Admiral Jack Lancaster, head of the Judge Advocate General’s office. The senior jurist in Fleet.

  Well, he supposed that at least meant they were taking this seriously. He was happy he’d taken the time to load the public profiles of all Fleet personnel. Otherwise, he’d know nothing about the man.

  “Admiral Mertz,” Lancaster said. “Please have a seat.” He gestured to the chair on the other side of the table from the senior officers. All either Vice Admirals or Admirals, he noted.

  Jared took his place. “Admirals.”

  “I’m Admiral Jack Lancaster, head of the Judge Advocate General Corps. Allow me to introduce my associates.” He went down the line confirming Jared’s records.

  “Now,” Lancaster continued. “Let’s be clear about the purpose of this board of inquiry. There were a number of serious incidents during your expedition and we’re going to review them all. We need to examine every aspect of what occurred.

  “We’ll be conducting this board under oath, so be advised that anything you say here might be used against you in a court martial, should one be convened. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Jared knew there would be a court martial. That was a foregone conclusion. He’d lost his ship. Athena would never fly again. Ginnie Dare was destroyed under his authority. And more than half his personnel had died in the last year.

  That didn’t even begin to count the decisions he’d made that these men and women would be second-guessing. They had the perfect vantage point to judge everything he’d decided without any of the pressure.

  Yes. There’d be a court martial.

  The hatch behind Jared slid open. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Captain Alice Quinn stride into the room. The slender black woman nodded to everyone at the table.

  “Admirals. Apologies for my tardiness. Captain Alice Quinn. I’m serving as Admiral Mertz’s counsel in this matter.”

  Lancaster frowned. “This isn’t a court martial, Captain. We’re only gathering to hear Admiral Mertz’s summary of the events in question.”

  Quinn smiled. “I understand, but under Fleet regulations, Admiral Mertz is entitled to have an officer stand as his defense counsel during a board of inquiry, too. As you well know,
I served in JAG before I transferred to the command track. I’m still licensed.”

  “This is very irregular,” Lancaster said. “It doesn’t sound as though Admiral Mertz engaged your services. You can’t just show up and declare yourself his counsel.”

  She turned to Jared. “Admiral Yeats sent me. Do you feel the need for counsel, Admiral? If I’m not an acceptable candidate, or you feel that I’m chasing down the work, I can suggest a number of very competent people to represent you.”

  Jared shook his head. “You’re perfectly fine with me, Captain Quinn. You’re hired.”

  She returned her attention to the board. “I believe that settles all the requirements, sir. I’d like to request a brief recess while I consult with my client. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.”

  Lancaster didn’t look pleased, but he nodded. “The conference room adjacent to this one is free, I believe. We’ll wait here.”

  “We’ll be back very shortly. I’d like to thank the board for their indulgence.”

  Jared followed her into the other conference room. “This is a pleasant surprise, Captain Quinn. Thank you.”

  “I’m glad the admiral called me. That was an ambush. I’m surprised someone as savvy as you missed it. They should’ve insisted you have counsel.”

  “I lost my ship and more than half the people under my command. They have to seat a court. You can’t stop that.”

  “Possibly not, but everything you say here will be testimony at that trial. You need to have someone skilled at spinning things to get the right tone on the matter.

  “I’m not suggesting you shade the truth. Think of me as more of a truth whisperer. I’ll translate what you say and defend your actions. If they go too far, I’ll slap them down. You have rights and I’ll see them respected.”

  He sighed. “I really appreciate this, but I’m not sure you can save me. I stuck my neck way out. They’re going to chop my head off.”

  She grinned. “That’s not the combat commander I know. You need to think of this in Fleet terms. Outmaneuver the bastards and give them hell.

  “I’ve read a summary of the actions you took. We can win this thing, but not if you let them bully you. Admiral Lancaster has a fair reputation, but we leave nothing to chance. If Senator Breckenridge doesn’t have someone on that board in his pocket, I’ll eat my rank tabs.

  “And call me Alice. You’re the top dog now, so I get to use your rank while you get to be all familiar.”

  “That feels wrong.”

  Quinn laughed. “Get used to it. And, by the way, you really did us proud. Don’t let all this second-guessing get you in an uproar. These admirals would’ve failed at the same challenges you overcame. And rest assured, I’ll tell them that, too.

  “Come on. Let’s get back in there.”

  The two of them returned to the main conference room. Lancaster watched Quinn retrieve a chair from against the bulkhead and then started the recorder.

  “This is the board of inquiry over the events that occurred during expedition fifteen into the Old Empire. I am Admiral Jack Lancaster, the presiding officer.” He introduced the other officers for the record.

  “Also present are Admiral Jared Mertz and his counsel, Captain Alice Quinn. Admiral Mertz, please rise.”

  He did so.

  “The testimony you are about to give is under oath. Raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth on your honor as a Fleet officer?”

  “I do.”

  “Please resume your seat and tell us in your own words what happened during your expedition. Leave nothing out and take as much time as you need.”

  Jared took a deep breath and started at the very beginning. This was going to take a long, long time.

  Chapter Twenty

  Talbot set his drink on the bar and considered punching the smug bastard standing in front of him in the face. Yes, it would cost him his rank, but that seemed a fair exchange.

  But Kelsey would be disappointed in him. He sighed and unclenched his fist.

  “I think you should reevaluate what you just said to me before I turn your face into hamburger,” he said conversationally. “You don’t know Admiral Mertz and you weren’t there. What gives you the right to judge him?”

  The man beside him, another marine, stepped into Talbot’s personal space. “I’ve seen the list of dead. The Bastard killed hundreds of our brothers and sisters. How can you defend what he did?”

  Talbot heard the unspoken capitalization of the word “bastard” and knew how this was going to roll. This guy was one of the idiots that thought the admiral was out to use his birth as a lever to the top. Nothing Talbot said was going to change that.

  “Is that all you see? The list of those who died? What about the things they gave their lives for? Those don’t matter? You think this was all for the admiral’s glory? I thought you were an idiot, but that’s being unfair to idiots. Someone help me out, here. What’s stupider than an idiot?”

  “Someone who betrays his brothers for an officer’s berth.”

  Talbot swung, but someone grabbed his arm, spoiling his aim. Other marines dragged them apart before he could shake free.

  A grizzled command master chief planted himself in front of Talbot. “This isn’t the officer’s club, Major. You don’t get to come down here and throw your weight around.”

  He raised a finger before Talbot could speak. “But, you were a senior sergeant when I last laid eyes on you, so you deserve the respect that carries. There won’t be any fight today. I want to hear why you’re defending this officer.”

  The first man shouted something, but the new guy turned and bellowed at him. “Pipe down, Grayson. You’re a damned disgrace to the uniform, insulting an officer to his face. And for using words small enough that he can understand you. Sit down and shut up.”

  The man turned back to Talbot. “I’m Command Master Chief Rex Santiago. I knew some of those men and women, too. Why did they die, Major?”

  Talbot took a deep breath and tossed back his drink. “Because they were goddamned heroes. Because they cared more about the Empire than their own lives. Because they were marines and that’s what marines do.”

  The crowd shouted almost as one. “Oorah!”

  “Bartender,” Talbot said. “This is going to be thirsty work. Drinks for everyone, on me. Except for that asshole. He can buy his own drink.”

  Everyone laughed. Even the asshole.

  Talbot launched into the unclassified part of the story. He told them what they’d found. He told them what the stakes were. And he laid out the odds stacked against them.

  “If you want to know why so many people died,” he wrapped up, “you should look at Captain Breckenridge. That’s why he’s in the brig.”

  That set them all to talking.

  In a way, Talbot had known this would happen. He’d come here expecting to have a fight. And to tell this story. Technically, this was against regulations. He’d badmouthed an officer. But, he was also an officer, though lower ranking.

  These men and women wouldn’t turn him in. They’d chew over what he’d said and make up their own minds.

  And that’s why he’d come here looking for the fight. Hell, he still wanted to punch that idiot.

  Santiago drank some of his beer. “I’d heard some of this through the grapevine,” he admitted. “Wasn’t sure I believed it. I guess I do now.”

  He raised his voice in a way that only the best noncoms could, so that it cut through everything going on in the bar.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Imperial Marines. To our lost brothers and sisters.”

  Every one of the marines shouted at the top of their lungs and drank.

  Well, maybe this was going to work after all.

  The command master chief stepped closer to him. “So, what’s this I hear about you dating Princess Kelsey?”

  Well, maybe not quite as well as he’d hoped.

  * * * * *
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  Elise accepted a ride to the Imperial Senate building with a growing sense of doom. Of course that idiot Breckenridge was going to use his uncle to stymie the good they were trying to do.

  The senate building wasn’t as impressive as the parliament back on Pentagar, she decided. It was too new and the designers had gone more for a sleek, modern look. It lacked the gravitas of history.

  The grav car set down on a pad outside the entrance and her guards stepped out. A young woman in a dark burgundy, knee-length dress was waiting for her.

  “Crown Princess Elise? I’m Jean Trouville. If you’ll come with me, I’ll see you to Senator Breckenridge’s office.”

  “Are you his assistant?”

  “No ma’am. I’m an aide to the Imperial Affairs committee. I work for whichever senator needs me. This way, please.”

  Trouville led Elise into the building and past the guards. Those men and women didn’t look pleased at seeing the Royal Guard moving by with their weapons, but they kept their peace.

  This was going to take some getting used to for everyone.

  Two of them did fall in place behind the group and joined them in the lift. That was fine by her. The senator deserved the protection his office afforded.

  The senator’s office was on the top floor of the building, speaking to his place in the hierarchy. He probably had a magnificent view.

  The man’s assistant stood when the group arrived. “Crown Princess Elise. Welcome to Avalon. If your guards will wait out here, the senator will see you right away.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “I’m afraid that isn’t how this works. Until my guard commander knows the senator better, he’s insisted he remain in my presence. The senator won’t even notice him there and he can have his own protection. I don’t mind.”

  The man bowed his head with an expression that hinted he’d suspected this was how it would play out. “Of course. This way, please.”

  She turned on the recording feature in her implants before the man opened the dark wooden doors. She wanted to capture the senator’s every word and expression. That might not be strictly according to the law here, but she could plead ignorance.