The Exxar Chronicles: Book 03 - Acts of Peace and War

by Neal Jones

  He waited for her response, and Ilkara instinctively used her mind's voice to respond. She was stunned and pleasantly surprised to find that the more they "talked", the better she was able to understand what he was "saying/showing/thinking", and she responded in kind. The meld was unlike anything she had ever experienced before, and she let go of all resistance, allowing his mind to completely envelop hers.

  Chapter 16

  ____________________

  ( 1 )

  THE MUSIC PULSED AND THUNDERED from the walls, the trick of some new technology that made the throng on the dance floor feel like they were inside an electric field. No doubt there was some illicit drug that further enhanced the sensation, making the entire crowd look like bouncing electrons in a giant, flashing, neon collider. Alikk Vi'Sar sighed as he pushed his way along the upper level of the arena, scowling at anyone who dared meet his gaze. Galoret Ain had reserved a private room in the back of the club, and Alikk was eager to get away from the garish, pulsing assault on his senses.

  At least the Jha'Drok was on time. "Hello, Alikk," he said pleasantly, pushing a glass of wine towards the Chrisarii. An ASD was already in the center of the table, it's surface emitting a soft blue glow.

  Vi'Sar sat and reached for the wine. "Is there a particular reason you felt it necessary to have this meeting in a place like this?" he growled.

  Ain shrugged. "It's the last place anyone would be expecting us to meet, and I find myself rejuvenated when I'm in the company of such vibrant, enthusiastic young people."

  Alikk glared at the Jha'Drok over the rim of his glass, honestly unsure of whether the rebel leader was joking or not. Het set the wine aside, and then said, "It seems the High Quorum agrees with you regarding the current state of your monarchy. They…seem to think that the more chaos, the better."

  Ain nodded, chuckling slowly. "So that explains your foul mood. Everyone else is pleased with the way this plan is progressing except for you. Why is that?"

  "Chief Minister Ronnd wants a more precise timetable from you. I know that you have more planned than just random bombings and terrorist attacks." Vi'Sar leaned forward, folding his hands on the table. "In your last communiqué, you implied an upcoming event involving the lord emperor. Ronnd wants clarification about that."

  Ain nodded again, setting aside his wine. "Yes, I expected he would. At the end of his progress, which is about four standard weeks from now, the lord emperor will be dining with his first cousin in Garbane. Talferd is the governor there. I have an agent placed on the kitchen staff in the governor's palace. Erengaar Valayne will not be leaving that dinner alive."

  Alikk didn't immediately respond. He nodded slowly, sitting back, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "You're certain this plan will succeed?"

  "Of course not. There are at least a dozen variables that must be accounted for, but I and my men have taken all necessary precautions in this matter. We have been planning this ever since Erengaar announced his plans for this progress a month ago."

  "And afterwards? If you are successful, then what?"

  "We go to ground and we ride out the aftermath. If my agent in Garbane is successful, he will make it out of the palace alive and will disappear with on of the other resistance cells."

  "And if not?"

  "He knows the risks. He will give his life for the cause. He won't be captured."

  "And if he fails? If Erengaar makes it out of the palace alive?"

  "Then we form another plan. One way or another, Erengaar dies within the next two months."

  Alikk didn't immediately respond, instead crossing his arms over his chest and narrowing his eyes once more, watching Ain. Beyond the walls, the rhythm of the dance floor continued to thump and pulse, like syncopated thunder from a distant storm.

  Galoret reached for his wine. "There's another matter that needs to be discussed." He paused, holding his wineglass up to the light and watching the liquid change colors, like a prism. Vi'Sar made an irritated noise, and Ain set the glass aside. "Sorry. The other reason I chose this club for our meeting was this unusual wine. I think it's fascinating." He leaned back, mimicking Alikk's position by crossing his arms over his chest. "There have been reports from my cell leaders in the outer colonies of fresh raids being conducted by the Imperial Army. I've lost contact with five separate cells in the last ten days."

  "Why is that unusual?"

  "Because, until recently, the army has been stretched thin combating civil and military uprisings on some of our conquered worlds. It's another side effect from the destruction of the assault legions last year. What's unusual about these new raids is the soldiers who are carrying them out." Ain reached into his pocket and withdrew a compad. He pulled up an image on its screen and then handed it to Vi'Sar. "This is the only piece of evidence I have been able to get from one of my soldiers on the rim. He said they all look like that. He's not even sure they're Jha'Drok."

  Alikk frowned as he studied the image. "He's right. Those don't appear to be standard combat uniforms for your soldiers."

  Ain nodded. "I've been doing everything I can to learn more about these new soldiers, but none of my usual sources can tell me anything. And, as of three days ago, I can no longer contact any of my usual sources. However, I am certain that the Talik'Jhor is behind all of this, and that these new soldiers are probably the result of several experiments over the last decade in one or more of their secret bio-labs."

  Vi'Sar slid the pad across the table. "Has this affected any of your current operations?"

  "Nothing significant, no. Half the colonies that were raided either weren't home to any resistance cells or the cells had already moved on. But if the Talik'Jhor continue this new campaign into the core systems, it will put a rather large snag into my plans – including Erengaar's assassination."

  "I thought that conducting random raids of suspected terrorist cells was normal behavior for the Talik'Jhor."

  "It is. But the difference now – other than these new soldiers – is that they're rounding up mass populations. Entire suburbs or districts are being cleaned out. So far, in the outer colonies, very few have been returned to their homes."

  Vi'Sar's scowl deepened. "Does this mean you're going to be requesting more resources from the Haal'Chai? If so, you need to get solid data on these new soldiers, something that I can take back to my engineers."

  "Of course. And no, I'm not requesting anything just yet." Ain slid the pad back into his pocket and stood. "I just wanted to keep you informed about what's happening."

  Vi'Sar nodded smugly. "I warned you that the Drigald were moving too fast with these recent bombings and other attacks. The Talik'Jhor are responding in kind."

  "Oh, don't worry, Alikk. This is what the High Quorum wanted, remember? Everything's moving according to plan."

  ( 2 )

  "Order! Order!" Dakkahr Broen hammered the sphere of his office on the arm of his chair in the center of the Hall of State. The thundering of stone upon stone reverberated above the clamor of the ninety-eight senators who were spread out before him, most of them on their feet. The sea of expressions were a mixture of frustration, anger, confusion and exhaustion. Those who were standing were the ones doing most of the shouting, and the rest were either undecided or too tired to continue the debate.

  "Senators," Broen continued, once everyone was seated and quiet, "we are here to debate the merits of a special tribunal. This not about the lord emperor's new financial reforms – or any of his other reforms, for that matter. This is not about the various other crises facing us at this moment. What this is about is whether or not Lord Emperor Erengaar Valayne committed high treason against his own crown by executing Senator Koden and Doctor Rimshar."

  "No!" Ossias thundered, rising to his feet once more. "All the other problems of state that we are being forced to deal with just now are symptoms of the larger problem that has plagued us since the ascension of Erengaar's grandfather to that throne." He stabbed a finger in the direction of the empty stone chair nex
t to Broen. "I have said it before, and I will say it again. We are reaping the consequences of a military project that should never have been sanctioned by S'elrim. Everything that we have been dealing with in the last century – the growing threat of the Drigald, the uprisings in the Resaki districts, the economic recessions, and now all these new reforms – all of it is the aftermath of S'elrim's choice to approve and implement a high-risk project. That project failed. And now his grandson has exercised that same rash judgment and decided that he is above the law!" R'Mot paused, looking around at the expressions of his fellow senators. "He executed two traitors without even attempting a show of proper law and procedure! Yes, Koden and Rimshar betrayed the crown, and yes, they deserved death. But Erengaar has committed a sin equally as egregious. He has placed himself above the law, acting as judge and executioner, and he must answer for his arrogance and his sin of presumption. This tribunal must be convened, and we must all decide whether or not to depose a lord emperor who believes that he has absolute power."

  This drew another chorus of agreements and arguments from several senators, and Broen was forced to give another call for order as he hammered his sphere.

  "That's all well and good, R'Mot," K'Ntar said, rising, his voice carrying over the din. He waited until most everyone was quite before continuing. "But no one has yet addressed the fact of who will sit upon the tribunal if it is convened. We've haven't had to address this sort of matter for almost four hundred years, and the law only stipulates that the tribunal shall be chosen according to an accepted manner voted on by the current senatorial body."

  "That is a valid point, K'Ntar," Dakkahr interrupted. "And we will deal with it if there is enough votes in favor of a tribunal." He swept his gaze across the tiers as he continued, "I believe we have debated this matter long enough. It's time to cast our votes. Do I have a second?"

  "I second the motion," Y'Shaya called out.

  Zheth Saerdan stood, pressing a command on his compad, and a holographic screen appeared in mid-air above and behind the throne. At the same time, privacy screens materialized between the seats of the senators in the stadium. Each man bent over his terminal, and the tally marks began to appear on the giant screen above the throne. As the votes were cast, each looked up – some waiting with eagerness, others with carefully neutral expressions, and still others with smoldering anger – all of them silent. In only a matter of seconds the final counts appeared at the bottom of the pair of columns, and a fresh roar of dissent and relief erupted from the governing body.

  Dakkahr hammered his sphere twice while hollering above the cacophony. "The final vote is fifty-six to forty-two, fifty-six being against the tribunal! Let the record show that there shall be no charges brought against the lord emperor, and this session is now adjourned!" He stood, gathering his robes and marching out of the Hall of State.

  Saan looked across the hall at R'Mot, and the other nodded briefly before rising with the others and following them out of the hall. V'Ruk was among the last to leave, and he made his way through the corridors to his office, avoiding the conversations and debates of the senators as he passed. He shut off his terminal, straightened his desk, and then turned off the lights. Once outside the Hall of State, he paused in the courtyard of the Hexagon, breathing deep of the crisp night air. He could taste the scent of the glau trees from the nearby gardens, and he briefly considered taking a midnight stroll. His entire body felt tense, jittery, and he stuffed his hands into his pockets to keep them from shaking. All around him, the other senators were departing in small groups, murmuring to one another in cordial tones. Outside in the open air was no place for continued debates of confidential government matters.

  Saan walked quickly out of the courtyard, turning left at the front gate and nodding to the pair of guards as he passed. Most everyone else was headed for the transit station two blocks away. Saan took another left, and then a right at the end of the street. After half an hour of walking, he saw his destination ahead on the left, an alehouse that catered to the more upscale clientele of the government district. He was relieved to find that the front room was only half full, and he didn't immediately recognize any of the faces. He threaded his way to the back corridor, nodding to the pubmaster as he passed the bar.

  Ossias was already seated at the table in the private room at the end of the hall. He glanced up, startled, as V'Ruk entered, and the pubmaster stepped in long enough to set down an extra stein. Saan was even more relieved to see that R'Mot was alone. He closed the door and then sat, reaching for his ale.

  "I wasn't sure you would come."

  "I almost didn't," Saan replied. He hesitated, checking to be sure the ASD in the center of the table was active.

  "It's all right. We're not the first to discuss private matters in a place like this."

  "Oh I'm sure our matter is unique." Saan frowned, exhaling. He took another draught of his ale.

  "Why are you here, Saan? What is it you want to know?"

  "You're still going through with your plan?"

  R'Mot frowned, puzzled. "I thought you didn't want to know anything more about it."

  "I don't. But I do need to know when. I'd like to be…prepared."

  "I don't know exactly. I've left that up to the one doing the actual deed. I do know that it will be sometime after Erengaar has returned from his progress but before he opens the new session of government."

  "That's a margin of only a few days." V'Ruk scowled once more, staring at the gilded rim of his stein. "It would have to be someone he trusted…someone close to him…" He glanced up, stunned. "Broen…" he whispered.

  "That's what I've always admired about you, Saan. You never miss a detail."

  "I knew that Dakkahr wasn't as loyal to Erengaar as he was to Emkai, but this…" He shook his head. "How did you convince him?"

  "I didn't have to. He's as disillusioned with the lord emperor as we are. But his hatred goes deeper than that. He believes that Erengaar poisoned Emkai, that he conspired with Rimshar in order to do it."

  Saan's eyes widened. "Is that true?"

  R'Mot shrugged. "I doubt we'll ever know the truth about Emkai's death. Personally, I find it more plausible than the diagnosis of Lyf's Disease."

  V'Ruk pushed away his stein. He suddenly had no appetite for the spicy ale.

  "Go home, Saan. Get some rest. Our next committee meeting is in three days. Take the time off, relax."

  V'Ruk gave a rueful snort as he stood. "As easy as that, eh?"

  R'Mot nodded over the rim of his stein. "It should be. You know nothing of our plans, right?" He set down the ale and swallowed. "We're doing the right thing, Saan," he continued. "This is for the good of the empire."

  "Yes," V'Ruk nodded wearily. "I keep telling myself that." He turned and left, walking briskly through the tavern's front room and into the night.

  ( 3 )

  Grax spat out a greasy morsel and pushed away the bowl of yellow goop. He had no idea what kind of "stew" Draussen had served him, but it tasted like reclamator waste. Some of it probably was. Draussen glanced up from the other end of the table, smacking his lips as he swallowed.

  "What? Not hungry?"

  "Well…yes, and there's this." Thalor held up his cuffed wrists. "Where do you think I'm going to run, Draussen? You've got forty people on this ship, all loyal to you. I gave myself up willingly, remember? I'm not going to try to escape."

  "Yes…" Ghyl drawled, wiping his mouth with his stained sleeve. "About that, what exactly is your plan?" He pointed his spoon at the Orethian. "I know you've got something churning in that smuggler's brain. I know your reputation."

  "Oh really? Even after all these years?" Grax feigned mild surprise. "I thought most of you had forgotten all about me."

  Draussen threw back his head and guffawed, spraying flecks of stew. "You," he wagged his finger, "you have a sense of humor, I'll give you that. Do you know what kind of reward they're giving me for you?? You're a celebrity, Thalor Grax! Well, at least, in the Sr'gg'ns
s systems, you are. They're very anxious for me to deliver the only man who successfully stole the Crown of Az'Nn'rkk." Ghyl swallowed, wiped his mouth again, and then leaned forward. "So…tell me how you did it."

  "It was simple," Grax shrugged. "I replaced the real crown with a forgery."

  "Yes, yes, we all know that. But how? And why did it take them so long to discover it was a fake?"

  "Now that's a very interesting question," Thalor replied. "In fact, it's the main reason I turned myself over to you." He paused, watching Draussen shove another spoonful of slop into his toothy maw. Behind Ghyl, a pair of thugs watched Grax. The Orethian was finding it difficult matching the portly, slovenly man on the other side of the table with the reputation of the ruthless mob lord who ruled seven star systems and owned one of the three largest smuggling empires in the Nevala sector. "I'm curious about something, Draussen."

  "Oh?"