Warlord 2: The Nobility

by CJ Williams

  Ttal contradicted the statement, as she was wont to do. “You said Saturn was the one with rings.”

  Carrie looked surprised and then grinned. “You’re right! What am I thinking?”

  It was a rhetorical question. Carrie’s mind was filled with the thousands of impossible tasks that had to be completed before the Bakkui arrived.

  The last two months had passed quickly. Part of that was having the kids. In her mind, becoming a mother was certainly on her to-do list, but it was for some unrealized timeframe in the far future. And yet, suddenly finding her life monopolized by the children seemed the most natural thing in the world. She thought about it once or twice, but as yet, it was not something she was willing to discuss, even with Sadie.

  For one thing, both of them, especially Ttal, heard every comment and wanted to know what it meant. Sooner or later they were going to learn that Carrie was the person responsible for their mother’s death and for the destruction of their entire world. She intended to put that day off for as long as possible.

  When not tending to the kids, Carrie spent all of her time consolidating everything she had learned into a briefing for Roth and his senior management team. She didn’t know what any of them were working on at the moment, but the second she arrived, they would have to drop everything and start preparing for invasion. She wasn’t sure how well that message would be received.

  “Going sub-light,” Sadie said. “Sending updates to all stations. ETA for Moonbase One is fifteen minutes.”

  “Let me know when you get any response,” Carrie replied.

  Five minutes later Sadie said, “Samantha Meyer says hello from Mars. She is still the governor there.”

  “Tell her I’ll see her soon and that I miss my lavender farm.”

  “Done. Roth is calling. He’s on.”

  “Hi, Roth. It’s me, Carrie. I’m back.”

  “Hey, Carrie. I just got your package. Should I go through it now or wait for you?”

  “Whatever you like. I’ll be there in just a few minutes and I’d like to come straight to your office. I could use the name of a good nanny if you know of any. I have two kids with me now. Long story.”

  “Okay. Looking forward to seeing you.”

  Ten minutes later the main hangar of Moonbase One came into view. The tall, elegant buildings sprinkled around the crater had multiplied in her absence.

  Roth was waiting when Sadie touched down. He had a teenage girl with him.

  “Welcome back,” Roth said, giving Carrie a quick hug. “You sure know how to make an entrance. What’s up with that fleet?” He nodded at the formation of armed yachts hovering just outside the hangar door.”

  “All will be revealed,” Carrie said. “Basically, I had a chance to bring along a few spares and we’re going to need them. There’s another invasion on the way. Who is this?”

  “This is Tiffany, a niece of Amanda Carson. Moved up here about two months ago.”

  Carrie introduced Eolin and Ttal as her adopted children. It was an awkward moment for Carrie, her first time publicly acknowledging the relationship. Until then, it had been such an intensely personal matter and Carrie wasn’t sure how to explain it. Was she supposed to say, “Here’s my adoptive kids. I killed their parents and everyone they ever knew.”

  The children didn’t want to go with Tiffany but she had a big smile and managed to coax them along. Carrie let them go with the youngster. Tiffany knew where Carrie’s apartment was and promised to get the children situated. She would stay as long as necessary. More permanent arrangements could be made once Carrie was ready.

  It took twenty minutes to get out of the hangar as other people showed up and wanted to say hi. Even Amanda, Carrie’s previous mentor, put in an appearance saying she had just gotten word that her niece was going to be babysitting.

  Finally, Roth got them moving in the direction of his office. Almost belatedly, Carrie looked at the ceiling.

  “Hi, George. Good to see you again.”

  “Thank you, Your Royal Highness,” George replied, his deep baritone filled with a rich welcome. “I am honored to be able to serve you.”

  The reply made Roth stop in his tracks and stare at Carrie in astonishment. “Your Royal Highness? What’s that all about?”

  Carrie grimaced and motioned for them to keep walking. “It’s all in the briefing. You’re not going to like any of it.”

  “Relax, Carrie, it’s not like we’re defenseless. We’ve built up a strong force for homeland security.”

  *.*.*.*

  When the briefing showed the destruction of Bonbu Two, Carrie buried her face in her hands. She had seen it in real life and had no wish to experience it again. Even with her eyes closed, however, she saw in her mind what Roth was viewing.

  “Tell me when it’s done,” Carrie whispered.

  A moment later Roth exhaled slowly. “It’s over,” he said quietly.

  Carrie looked up and was not surprised by the ashen color of his features. “Did you see all those warships?” she asked. “George said there were several hundred, but it was actually thousands.”

  George’s hushed voice spoke. “That particular George was limited by line of sight. From his perspective, the count was fairly accurate. However, by reviewing the recordings from your two reconnaissance drones, Sadie estimates over thirty thousand warships made it off planet.”

  “I noticed they left in groups,” Roth said. “Did you get a fix on their direction of flight?”

  “We did,” George replied. “Each squadron had different destinations; more or less in our direction, but that must be considered supposition. Once away from the planet, they may have regrouped.”

  “I don’t think so,” Carrie said. “I’ll bet you anything they linked up with other forces. Probably bigger ones. And that’s what I’m scared of. I think they’re all headed this way. We’ve been living in a dream world, Roth. We thought we were winning the war, but what if they hit us right now? What kind of defense have we got?”

  “George? What’s our current status?”

  “Doctor Higgins, Your Royal Highness, we have—”

  “Hold it, George,” Carrie interrupted. “Sorry to cut you off, but before this gets out, let’s dispense with fancy titles, okay? I’m not an admiral anymore, and I certainly don’t want to be Little Miss Princess. From now on, I’m Carrie. If it makes you feel better, you can go with Miss Faulkner. Got it?”

  “Of course…Miss Faulkner.”

  “That goes for you too, Roth,” Carrie said pointedly.

  “No problem,” Roth said with an understanding nod. “Continue with our current military status, George.”

  “Of course. Admiral McGee commands an operational fleet of five hundred and eighty vessels. These include five battlegroups of forty warships each. There are also twenty interceptor squadrons, each with sixteen fighters. We have a combination of troop carriers, research craft, support transports, and rescue vessels totaling sixty-six of the larger shuttle-class ships and three colony-class trainers. The small shuttle-class transports are operated by Moonbase staff and are not included in these numbers.”

  Carrie sorted through the numbers in her mind. “So basically, you have five hundred warships and fighters, plus the armed yachts that I brought along. That’s less than a thousand combat ships against maybe half a million Bakkui? See what I mean?”

  Roth’s smile was gone. “I do see. George, ask Jared and Lou Morrow to come to my office immediately. Riley Stevens too.” He looked at Carrie. “They need to see this briefing. So will a lot of other people.”

  Carrie realized with a start that she should never have included the royal family information in the briefing. Not if she wanted to keep her own role in the whole thing quiet.

  As if reading her mind Roth nodded reassuringly. “I’ll tell them to cool it on the Highness thing. But that’s an important part of the scenario. It puts a lot of this in perspective. I never had any idea there were so many tendrils to our own situat
ion.”

  *.*.*.*

  The lights went up in the training room and Carrie, after hearing the collective exhalation of everyone attending, opened her eyes. The room was packed and Carrie had lost count of how many times the briefing had been shown. Each time, participants left to return with subordinates or other colleagues they felt needed to see it.

  Roth had gone over the presentation with George and Sadie several times to refine it and emphasize crucial aspects to concentrate on. Each time he did, the role Carrie had played left a more outsized impression. She wasn’t sure if that was a marketing ploy by him or what. But she hated the way people looked at her afterwards; it was with a mixture of awe, pity, and horror.

  Roth went up to the podium. “All right, people. We don’t know when the Bakkui will show up. George estimates it probably won’t be earlier than two weeks, so that’s our first deadline. We need to create an effective defense system that can stop more than a hundred thousand warships in a concerted attack on our solar system. They have the basics of our technology and certainly more numbers. I want to meet Admiral McGee, Lou Morrow, and Riley Stevens in my office tomorrow at ten hundred hours with your initial thoughts. And I want a firm schedule for intermediate milestones within forty-eight hours.”

  He looked around the room and then his eyes rested on Carrie. “Do you have anything to add, Yo—”

  He had almost said Your Highness; Carrie was sure of it. Thank God he held it back. She shook her head minutely but he stepped back from the podium and motioned for her to join him.

  Mentally sighing, she took a deep breath and faced the crowd. She sympathized with their shaken expressions; she had seen the same look of horror in her own mirror. Watching a planet filled with a living, vibrant population being destroyed was a sobering experience. She knew better than anyone because she had watched it twice…in real life.

  On top of that they were being told the same fate was in store for Earth. It had shocked them to their core. She owed it to give them a few words of encouragement.

  “I want you to know that I have faith in each of you,” she said sincerely. “I feel terrible for bringing such bad news, but I’m grateful we have a little time to prepare, brief though it may be. But one thing I learned from my reconnaissance was that our people, from our planet, have more ingenuity in their little fingers than an entire galaxy of mechanized assassins and would-be despots.

  “As we face the coming battle, please remember why we are fighting. It’s not for our friends and loved ones here in Moonbase One. It’s not for those of us who volunteered to join the Milky Way Alliance, and it’s not for the seven billion people who inhabit our mother Earth below. No, we are fighting for all of humanity; for all the families that are spread across our galaxy. We’re going to avenge those innocent billions who have already died, and we will protect the countless trillions who simply wish to live in peace. If Commander Blackburn was here, he would remind you to trust in each other. He would also make it clear that the day the Bakkui show up in our backyard will be the last day they bother anyone in this universe. Thank you.”

  There was a brief moment of silence and then Jared McGee started to applaud. The gesture was picked up and within seconds everyone in the room was on their feet, clapping and cheering.

  Before Carrie could react, dozens of people had surrounded her, calling her princess, wanting to shake her hand, saying thank you, saying how brave she was, what an amazing inspiration, and so on, and so on. It was overwhelming.

  She suddenly realized it wasn’t just a pep talk for her bridge crew that she had given. She had told the leading members of the entire Milky Way Alliance that the time had come. The great battle, that to so many was only an abstract theory, had come home to roost. Only a total victory meant they would continue to exist. If they went down in defeat, it was likely that all human life in the galaxy would be extinguished.

  Carrie smiled and offered encouragement to those around her, but she also threw a panicked glance at Roth. He rescued her, sending the others on their way, reminding everyone they had deadlines to meet.

  Back in his office, she fought off an unexpected bout of tears, more from accumulated stress than anything else.

  “Good job,” Roth said encouragingly. “In case you had forgotten, most people have a thing about royalty. Everyone loves a princess.”

  “I can’t stand this,” she groaned. “I’m sorry but I just feel so dirty and none of this helps. I’m the one who killed that planet and I knew what I was doing when I did. It just makes me feel like a murderer.”

  “I know. I can see it in your eyes, but I’m probably the only one who does. I’m telling you right now though, it doesn’t make any difference. For the next two weeks, you have to hold it together somehow. You need to realize that you’ve had this knowledge for a while now, so even though you may not be used to it, you’ve had a chance to deal with it.”

  “Hardly,” Carrie whispered. “I can barely breathe.”

  Roth leaned close, his eyes boring into hers. “That’s my point,” he responded hoarsely. “I can’t either. Neither could anyone in that room. I’m scared shitless right now. I mean you couldn’t drive a nail up my ass with a jackhammer. And everyone who’s seen that briefing feels the same way. I can tell by their expression. The difference is you don’t look like it. You look wise and calm.”

  Carrie started to protest but Roth cut her off.

  “No, don’t even start with me,” he said. “I’m just stating the facts and you’ve known me long enough that I don’t sugarcoat anything. I’m telling you that until the Bakkui show up, I need you to walk around, be seen, and keep telling people what you just said. That you believe in them. Keep saying it and maybe they’ll start believing it themselves. Because right now, Your Royal Frigging Highness, that’s about all we have!”

  *.*.*.*

  Six days after arriving back in Earth’s solar system, Carrie stood on the bridge of one of the new warships and admired the view. She always did like the Ambrosia-class warships. Primarily because the front of the bridge was floor-to-ceiling glass. It might not be practical, but it was so much better than a viewscreen.

  And the new models had so many cool features. The glass wasn’t actually glass, of course. But it wasn’t the solid, steel-hard crystal that had been on the first versions. The one she was looking through was filled with embedded electronics that displayed whatever information the crew needed. At the moment, a green reticle circled the closest asteroid. As Carrie moved, the reticle subtly adjusted its position for her changing perspective.

  “Riley,” Carrie said with a deep breath. “You are absolutely the smartest man I have ever met. Don’t let anyone ever tell you different.”

  There was little chance of that. Everyone on Moonbase One acknowledged the genius of Riley Stevens.

  “Thanks,” he said, shamelessly proud. “I was pretty happy with myself on this one. Assuming it works, of course.”

  “I know it will since you designed it,” Carrie said confidently while mentally crossing her fingers.

  Amanda Carlson rolled her eyes. “Enough self-congratulations,” she said. “Explain what you’re talking about.” She nodded at her cameraman to make sure he was recording. She had insisted on recording the launch for the historical record and Roth didn’t argue. Keeping the public happy with the Moon’s lax form of government included unabashed self-promotion, and in that, Amanda was an expert.

  “Right,” Riley said slowly, his face screwed up in thought. “It’s pretty simple, but basically I created a self-propagating model of moderately intelligent, highly mobile yet reduced observable platforms that should maximize the effectiveness of a not quite exponential, but growth-oriented performance metric based on the capability inherent in the sufficient availability of urk—”

  Carrie cut him off by wrapping her arm around his neck in a headlock. She grinned at the camera. “Riley made a missile system that multiplies like rabbits. We’re going to stick it in the ast
eroid belt and let her rip.” She looked down at the startled scientist. “Right?”

  “That’s right…Your Highness.”

  “Riley!” Carrie said in mock anger, tightening her grip on his neck. “I warned you about calling me that!”

  “I’m sorry, Highness, but Morrow said he would kill me if I didn’t. And he carries out his threats; you don’t.”

  It was the kind of photo op that public relations experts dream of. Riley’s adoration of Carrie was supremely evident while her affection for the goofy intellectual was obvious. Carrie’s two kids suddenly joined in the tussle and the interview devolved into a free-for-all.

  Standing next to Amanda, Roth smiled. “I’ve never seen such a reluctant princess,” he said quietly. “Have you?”

  “Oh my God,” Amanda said grabbing a memo pad from her purse and scribbling quickly. “The Reluctant Princess. What a perfect name. I’m going to use that; I can tell you.”

  *.*.*.*

  Amanda’s propaganda machine operated quietly in the background while Roth kept Carrie busy. She was seen all over the solar system, always accompanied by and never more than a few feet away from her adopted children.

  On Carrie’s first evening back, Samantha sent a stylist over from Mars to outfit the young princess. When Carrie heard about it she feared Sam wanted to put her in a white Roman toga but that wasn’t the case. The stylist produced several outfits in various designs and colors that had a distinctive royal look. Carrie’s preference was a long flowing robe with a crossed bodice and broad loose sleeves. The material was a beautiful Chinese red chiffon with gold trim edging the sleeves and a wide sash that cinched the waist. She was pleased with how comfortable it was and when she looked at her reflection in the mirror she couldn’t deny she was transformed.

  Carrie was filmed on one of Jupiter’s moons, talking with a group of fighter pilots who were relaxing between patrol missions, and later the same day shaking hands with the hugely popular President Morán. He promised whatever assistance the United States could provide and essentially offered to give her every pilot in the Air Force if it would help.