“Yes, Camerlingo,” Ki’Bontri said, noticing the other man’s negligence in not calling him the First among Equals. “I am ready to speak to the Empress, may Her Power Reign Supreme over the entire Galaxy.”
The Camerlingo did not acknowledge the other man’s response. Instead, he tapped his staff to order Ki’Bontri to stand behind him as was proper for an Audience with the Empress. Ki’Bontri stepped into position and waited for the Camerlingo to proceed. So far, the entire feeling of this meeting was agitating Ki’Bontri. He had expected some problems upon his return, but not the disdain that he had been presented with.
As the two entered the Audience Chamber, Ki’Bontri tried to keep his head pointed straight at the Camerlingo’s back; not wanting to look around for fear that the expression might be misinterpreted. He heard noises as he stepped into the room, however and looked to see who else would be in the Presence of the Empress.
His pheromone release of shock could not be hidden as he looked at the entire assembly of Primero arrayed around the central Dais. There had been a few changes in the order, most notably that Ki’Benara who had leapt seven positions to stand in the center of the room. The young Primero seemed to have matured greatly in the last year since Ki’Bontri had seen him and now looked as if he belonged in the group. He looked to his position to see Ki’Bualan standing next to his place. The Primero, and friend of the disgraced Ki’Bara, had managed to survive Ki’Bontri’s machinations to remove him from the council and now stood as Second among Equals in the Chamber.
Ki’Bontri stepped to his position and knelt down, assuming the position of obeisance before his Empress. He waited until the Camerlingo tapped his staff, but the tall Lord seemed to be waiting for a very long time before striking the dark stone. When he finally did, Ki’Bontri stood, feeling the tendons in his knee joints pop from disuse. Ki’Bontri rarely knelt on his knees anymore and he was feeling the motion as he stood to look upon his Empress.
He saw that the entire assembly of Primero was without the fashions that he had chosen to wear. Even the Empress was naked in all her splendor as she sat upon the throne. He realized that he looked like a fool in the court as he struggled to understand what had happened during his absence.
“Announce yourself!” commanded the Camerlingo, staring at the Primero with an air of anger. “You are in the Imperial Presence, may She always be the Light for our People.”
“It is my honor to present myself,” replied the Primero, trying not to stammer in fear. “I am Ki’Bontri, First among Equals and Primero for the Eight Regions of Her Majesty’s military. I beg your forgiveness, My Empress.”
“You speak to me, Ki’Bontri,” replied the Camerlingo. “You do not address the Empress, Primero.”
“My apologies, Camerlingo,” said Ki’Bontri, not understanding the changes. “I meant no disrespect but I have always…”
“The Empress is always and forever, Ki’Bontri,” interrupted the tall man. “You are temporary. Never forget that.”
Ki’Bontri bowed his head to acknowledge the truth of the other man’s words. Terror was now seizing his hearts as he thought about the situation. His mind raced to put into place a plan to explain what he knew he must have been accused of, but none was forming. The Primero tried to find a way to blame the battle on Heyerdahl and his faulty intelligence to get himself out of trouble. He looked to the Camerlingo again before he spoke.
“My Lord,” he began. “I wish to report the loss of nearly half of our fleet to the hands of the humans. It was the Advisor, My Lord, who betrayed our Empress, May Her Glory extend throughout time. He gave false information about the enemy fleet which led to the loss of many of our ships.”
“So it is your contention that it was the Advisor who caused your defeat?” the Lord Camerlingo questioned. “The man that the Empress took into Her court and judged worthy of Her attentions?”
Ki’Bontri realized too late the trap that he had set onto himself. By implying that the human man had been a traitor, he had judged the Empress’ judgment faulty. It was an affront that Ki’Bontri had not meant to make, but one that could cost him his life. He stammered trying to explain the insult in a way that made him look innocent of any wrong doing.
“My Lord Camerlingo,” Ki’Bontri tried to say. “I mean that the human, Heyerdahl, was a member of a devious species who could manipulate the Court and our society to his own will. He must have used some kind of technology to exert influence over our Empress, may She always reign supreme.”
“Ki’Bontri,” replied the Camerlingo. “We have been keeping watch on your activities. We believe it was your own incompetence, not any technology that cost the lives of your fleet.”
“My Lady Empress, Please!” Ki’Bontri pleaded, taking a step out of the line of Primero.
A flash of movement swept past Ki’Bontri’s eyes as he felt an impact on the armor of his chest. He was propelled upwards as the staff of the Camerlingo rammed into him and knocked him from his feet. He landed with a loud crack on the dark marble of the floor, his head striking a swirling pattern and his body crumbling under the pain.
“You dare step towards the Empress, whose wrath crumbles planets!” the Camerlingo roared. “You are but a grain of sand on the infinite continent that is Her being!”
Ki’Bontri let out a blast of fear pheromones that made his own eyes water. He scrambled to get to his knees before the enraged holy man. He tried to raise his hands to plead for his life, but the Camerlingo had already turned his back to him and returned to the place beside the dais. Ki’Bontri wondered why he had still not heard a word from the Empress.
“Camerlingo,” the Primero pleaded. “I beg your forgiveness. It is the time I have spent in space, I planned the mission carefully, but the military trained by Ki’Bara, failed to carry out my plan as I ordered. It is the fault of Ki’Bara!”
“I beg to differ.” A voice from the darkness behind the dais replied. “I have already advised the Empress, Her infinite beauty shining upon us all, of your foolish decisions and how they undermined the order within the military.”
Ki’Bontri’s lower mandible almost dropped as he saw the man who walked from beyond the Empress. He no longer wore the blue Sash of Authority, but now was adorned with the gleaming silver shoulder cloak of the Empress Consort. Ki’Bara looked down upon his successor with an expression of pity in his eyes.
“Ki’Bara,” began Ki’Bontri. “What are you doing?”
“Do not address the Consort directly, former First among Equals,” said the Camerlingo. “You speak to me only.”
Ki’Bontri heard the demotion from the tall man and felt his shoulders sink. He had always assumed that his greatest talent was the ability to plan and execute complicated political schemes, outmaneuvering his opponents with his wit and perceptions. Now, it seemed, he understood why Ki’Bara had been made the Primero in the first place. His strategic mind had played Ki’Bontri for the fool and left him with nothing. The only thing left for Ki’Bontri was to beg for his own life.
“My Lord Consort,” Ki’Bontri said, lowering his voice. “I beg your forgiveness for my incompetence. I should have listened to you when you warned me about the humans.”
“Yes,” replied Ki’Bara. “You should have, but you didn’t. You executed officers and Centurions without regard to the damage you were doing to my Empress’ fleet. You recklessly barged into a battle without gathering the necessary intelligence about your enemy. It is good that you no longer wear the Sash of Authority, Ki’Bontri, because you no longer have any.”
Ki’Bontri’s mind reeled. He had been stripped of the title of First among Equals, Primero of the Eight Regions and all other power he had collected during his career. Ki’Bara, the old soldier, had managed to outwit him and took what he had earned. There was only one chance that he could retain his name, at least.
“Camerlingo,” Ki’Bontri said with desperation in his voice. “I still have access to one piece of information that may win us the war. I
know the location of the Engineers.”
The Camerlingo glanced at the Empress for a moment. She continued to look away from Ki’Bontri, but she did look to Ki’Bara with a pleasing release of pheromone. The Consort looked back at the Empress with a placid expression. He nodded slightly to the Camerlingo and the tall man tapped his staff. The other Primero stood to order.
As the Camerlingo continued to tap his staff on the dark floor, the Primero Assembly turned and walked from the Audience Chamber. Each bowed slightly to the Empress as he passed the dais, but otherwise not indicating that they even noticed Ki’Bontri. The former Primero tried to gain the attention of his one-time allies, but the men disregard him and filed out of the room.
“Ki’Bontri, how did you come by this information,” asked the Camerlingo as the doors boomed closed.
“It was Heyerdahl,” Ki’Bontri said, hope returning a glimmer of authority to his voice. “The Advisor acted as our agent during the battle. Before the humans killed him, he signaled me with the information.”
“So you are basing the claim about the Engineers on the word of a traitor?” Ki’Bara replied. “A man you claimed was manipulating technology to control our people.”
And there it was. Ki’Bontri had just snapped the trap shut around his own neck by trying to save his life. Ki’Bara had manipulated into looking like a fool in front of the Empress. He tore at the clothing that he wore, now wanting nothing better than to be rid of anything relating to the Terran traitor. He roared in anguish at his situation, not caring any more if he upset the Empress.
“Control yourself, Citizen,” said the Camerlingo, indicating the man before him. “Try and retain some measure of self-respect before the glory of your Empress.”
“But I am telling you the truth, My Lady Empress,” replied the former Ki’Bontri. “I can assure you that I can get the Engineers back. I know the humans now and can defeat them.”
“We no longer have need of you, Ki’Bontri,” replied Ki’Bara, using the man’s former name one last time. “I have acquired leverage against the humans for the next battle.”
Ki’Bara turned to the side of the Audience chamber and waved his hand. The defeated man looked to the darkness. It should have surprised him to see his former Quartero, Du’Monu, striding from the shadows, but he felt numb and no longer able to think. The man was no longer wearing the burgundy Sash of Authority that indicated his station as Quartero. He now wore the orange baldric of Tercero. He was dragging a human body with him, the head covered in a brown sack that hid the identity. Whoever it was still alive, though, and struggled against the strong hands of the new Tercero.
“I believe you know Na’Tonu,” said Ki’Bara with an air of smug satisfaction.
The pieces of the plot fell into place for Ki’Bontri. He understood how Ki’Bara had learned about the plans and why he had stayed during the battle. He had been getting fed information from the Quartero of the ship. Na’Tonu stared at his former superior without blinking. He wore his part in the plot well and seemed totally unconcerned about the man he used to work for.
“I have secured a human that should ensure that the next battle with the humans will turn out different, explained Ki’Bara. He waved to the Tercero with his long fingers and the other man pulled the hood away from the human’s head.
Ki’Bontri had only ever seen one human and Erik Heyerdahl was a much larger human than this one. As he understood them, the human was female and tall for the species. She had bruises over her fine features and her yellow hair was matted with red blood. She looked up at him with a rage that scared the former Primero. She pulled against Na’Tonu, but the Ch’Tauk officer held her fast.
As he had lost his name and title, the man formally known as Ki’Bontri slumped down on the floor and began to sob. He knew that Ki’Bara had somehow secured the mate of the ship captain that had truly defeated him in battle. He now knew that his life was over.
“You are no longer needed in the Palace, citizen,” said the Camerlingo, turning to the Empress.
The Empress Ch’Tauk stood on her long, armored legs and turned away from the crying man. She had emitted an odor of disgust as she walked away from the Audience chamber, pausing only a moment as she looked to her new Consort. The Camerlingo followed his mistress from the room. Ki’Bara waved off Na’Tonu and the Tercero replaced the hood and dragged the screaming woman away as well. It was now only Ki’Bara and the former Ki’Bontri alone in the room. Ki’Bara approached his former rival and began to circle the man like a predator.
“The last time I was in this room with you,” he explained. “I vowed that I would kill you. I am not sure that I need to anymore.”
The former Primero looked up to see the Consort. He struggled to raise himself before his enemy, trying to regain his composure. The Consort settled down onto his haunches to look at the other man in the eyes. He seemed to be memorizing his former rival’s face.
“The only thing is,” Ki’Bara explained. “I always keep my promises.”
The former First among Equals felt a sharp pain between the armored plates of his chest. The long, thin blade felt like fire as it sliced through the muscles of his chest and into one of his hearts. He felt the blade withdraw from his chest with a gasp and then it plunged back in to slice into his other heart. The pain was less than the man thought, but he was now having trouble holding any of his four eyes open. He slumped over onto his side as Ki’Bara pulled the knife away again.
“You lack respect, citizen,” said the Primero Consort. “I hope you will learn in the next incarnation because you failed to learn it in this one.”
The last scent emitted from the former Primero’s glands was one of shame and fear. He expired with a groan on the floor of the Audience chamber with no one near him who cared for him. Ki’Bara wiped the knife blade, dripping with the green blood of the other man, onto the corpse’s torn blouse.
“Now,” said Ki’Bara to the empty room. “It’s time to get back to work.”
About the Author
James R. Prosser, Jr. lives in Palm Bay, Florida with his wife and cats. He teaches High School Drama and directs plays. He has also written a third novel in the series Resolute Uprising and is hard at work on Book 4 Resolute Victory. His colorfully named cats thank you for buying the books and allowing them to eat.
Resolute Omnibus (The War for Terra) Page 46
