Harry’s face was slick with sweat. His left hand was trembling. He was looking straight through Paul. “Shit!” he muttered.
“Just calm down, Harry,” Paul soothed, “and think it through.”
Harry shook his head, looked Paul in the eye and took a deep breath. “Just take it,” he blurted, holding out the trigger. His knees collapsed under him as he let go of the device.
Holding the death of billions in your hand can be a draining experience when you aren’t used to it.
Consolidation
The Eye
Paul walked into the wood-paneled office. A fireplace crackled away cheerfully at one side of the large room, showing any who entered that Chief Commissioner Maurice Tudor was wealthy enough to buy wood and set it on fire.
One didn’t climb to the very pinnacle of the ICI through merit alone. The great man himself sat by the fire, grinning up happily at Paul. Sitting next to him was Bao Zheng, the Grand Magistrate, the legal balance to Tudor. The two could easily thwart each other but, when they worked in concert, there was very little that could stand in their way.
“Have a seat, my boy,” Tudor waved at one of the deep chairs. “Sit, sit. You need a rest after all your adventures!” He leaned forward as Paul settled in. “Quite a little rat’s nest you’ve kicked over out on the Rim,” he declared.
“I should say so,” Zheng agreed. “Thousands of citizens snatched away to Gray territory, Imperial troops suborned, treason… It’s enough to put silk around quite a few necks.”
“If we have the proof,” Tudor leaned back and gazed at Paul. “So, do we have the necessary proof, Inspector Grimm?”
Paul took a deep breath and activated the case file on his CPU. “The data is open for you to review, gentlemen.” He waited until both men connected and accessed the file before beginning the summary. “I believe we have more than enough for several quick convictions. Seneca and his cronies framed Julius Nathaniel and they murdered Hadrian.
“They conspired to seize his Majesty’s territories, they planted weapons of mass destruction in Imperial cities and they used his Majesty’s forces to attack Imperial citizens. They conspired with the Grays, handing kidnap victims over to them for experimentation and they were willing to give aliens a frightening level of influence over the future course of Imperial politics.”
“Can we prove that last part?” Tudor asked. “You have more than enough for treason, but giving the aliens influence? That would ruin Seneca’s entire family; we’d need a damned good argument.”
A steward brought coffee and Paul took the time to savor a few sips while he marshaled his thoughts. He sat forward on the edge of his seat and set the cup on a side table. “Seneca planned to use threats to keep us all from touching him. Specifically, the threat of disrupting erbium production at Irricana and circuit production at Santa Clara.”
The two older men nodded.
“That threat would have been sufficient to keep us all at bay while he dictated policy to us,” Paul continued, “but Gray systems don’t rely on Human circuits. They were perfectly free to attack Seneca’s forces without any danger to themselves. They could have easily traded peace for influence.”
“Effectively turning Seneca’s own weapon against himself,” Zheng declared.
Paul nodded. “And against us in the process. An enemy’s greatest strength often turns out to be his greatest weakness as well. If the Grays ever tired of controlling the Imperium through Seneca, they could have simply attacked both worlds and triggered Seneca’s threat scenario.”
“There isn’t much to stop them right now,” Tudor added. “now they’re aware of our weakness, and they’re probably very perturbed by your incursion into Gray territory.”
“Blinking mad, no doubt,” Zheng added mildly. “We need to press for diversification immediately and beef up security at both worlds before they decide to come after us.”
“I suppose we have Seneca to thank for pointing out this weakness in our society,” Tudor mused, “but we’ll still strangle the bastard.” He raised an eyebrow at Zheng. “You’ve seen the data. Are you ready to render sentences?”
Zheng nodded. “I’m ready to transmit. I assume you want our man here to carry them out?”
“I do,” Tudor agreed. He turned back to Paul. “Now look here,” he began, jabbing a finger at Paul, “you’ve done very well so far. Really put a feather in our cap on this one, so don’t bugger it up in the final stretch. Make sure it happens while the Grand Senate is in session. We want the public watching when you make the bastard’s eyes bulge.”
CentCom
Urbica stood before a panel of two Admirals and one Marine General. If ever she’d needed proof that money could buy any rank, she need only walk into this room. Most senior officers were the dullard sons of their respective families, too dim to hold public office and too prone to drink to leave to their own devices.
In many ways, the Imperial military had become a daycare for rich adults. But these were adults who might well be ordering her execution for starting a conflict with the Grays.
“What did you think you were doing, Colonel?” Admiral Silenn demanded. “You can’t start a war without consulting us, you know.”
“It was hardly my intent to start a war, sir,” Urbica countered. “I had reliable information indicating that thirty-seven thousand of his Majesty’s subjects were being tortured on Narsa. The only way for us to reach our citizens and relieve their suffering was to take the Gray warship and travel directly there.”
She smiled politely. “Perhaps it might be worth reiterating, with all this talk of provocation, that I seized that Gray warship in orbit around one of the Emperor’s own planets. There were quite a few Gray warships in the area, firing at our vessels.”
Silenn went red in the face, but he had nothing to say in response.
Urbica had no intention of letting him take cheap shots without having to endure any return fire. “What course of action would you have recommended, Admiral Silenn, to a commander under fire in Imperial territory? Perhaps I should’ve withdrawn my forces from Irricanan space and consulted with my superiors?”
“Perhaps,” Silenn ventured. “Cooler heads might have prevailed.”
“And His Majesty’s citizens on Irricana would have been left to the mercy of an invading alien force,” Urbica countered. “I swore to defend the Imperium, not to simply report on its demise.”
“Defending the Imperium is one thing,” General Pfizen growled. “Invading Gray territory is quite another.”
“Inflammatory!” Silenn declared.
“Treasonous,” Pfizen added ominously.
“As the Grays had already invaded our territory, I felt quite certain that our own incursion would do little to incite further attacks. I had no intention of leaving our citizens in Gray hands.” She was starting to believe that these fools may have had a hand in the scheme.
She might not leave this building alive.
She’d expected some alarm at her attack into Gray territory as well as a desire to see the captured Gray carrier disappear, but they seemed far too focused on criminalizing her actions.
Time to throw a cat amongst the pigeons.
“What’s treasonous,” she replied, “is Colonel Kinsey’s close association with the Gray forces. We have proof that his Marines were equipped by the Grays and that they used that equipment to prey on law-abiding Imperial vessels.”
“Yes, well, you can hand your evidence over to us and we will decide the truth of these allegations,” Silenn ordered.
“I’m not the one in possession of the data.”
A smug smile. “How convenient. I suppose you hid the data in a…”
“An inspector from the ICI has the data. It’s been presented, along with Colonel Kinsey, to the Grand Magistrate.”
The result was almost comical. Pfizen and Silenn exchanged glances but found no answers there. Their body language became erratic, twitchy. They were filled with the adrenaline rush
of a fight or flight response but they were in no position to follow either course of action.
Admiral Halsey, on the other hand, simply raised an eyebrow at this news. Apparently, he had no reason to fear this development.
“I’m sure nobody faults your decision to assault Narsa, Colonel,” He said. “But Agash and Tel Ramh?”
“Diversionary attacks,” she replied. She had originally meant to attack Agash to draw forces away from Santa Clara, but it served as a diversion for the attack on Narsa just as well. “And, in light of the capabilities of our captured ship, we thought it wise to make our second diversionary attack at the world that built it.”
A nod. “You understand our displeasure at your decision to give the media access to the Gray warship?”
She shrugged. “Sir, tens of thousands of our citizens had seen us open a wormhole to get back to Irricana, not to mention the records from Orbital Control and the civilian witnesses in orbit.”
“We need to destroy that ship,” Silenn urged.
Halsey glanced at the man out of the corner of his eye. “Not without sending in an appraisal team from Nordegg & Fishcher,” he said. “The military would have to know how much prize-money to pay the Colonel and her intrepid dragoons before taking the ship from them. It would look very bad for us if the media learned that we’d robbed the saviors of Irricana.”
Urbica was starting to feel she had an ally in the room. Halsey had remained quiet at the start, but he may have been giving her a chance to outmaneuver Silenn and Pfizen on her own. She sent a quick message to Paul. She’d never bothered much with the machinations of the leading families but now was a time when such knowledge would be incredibly useful.
Admiral Halsey owes his position to the Thynnes. Paul’s quick reply gave her hope. The Thynne family was one of the most powerful of the senatorial families. They believed in a strong Imperium and were unlikely to be tied up in a plot with Seneca.
“This business of seizing Irricana and Santa Clara,” Halsey continued. “You’re certain of the details as presented?”
“Yes, sir. They had every intention of destroying those production sites if they were losing control. The device at Irricana activated while I was disarming it, so there can be no doubt on that count.”
“Activated?” Halsey’s chin raised an inch.
“Yes, sir. I had to shoot the trigger.”
A smile played around the corners of his eyes. “And I suppose the ICI has been presented with a conspirator who’s willing to talk?“
“Indeed, sir. Kinsey’s been outlining the entire structure of the conspiracy in exchange for his life.”
“Excellent!” Halsey gave her a respectful nod. “You’ve done well, Colonel! We’d appreciate if you could keep your new ship here in orbit for the time being. The Imperial Corps of Engineers should take a look at her, but I’d like to keep them from taking her apart for the time being.
He grinned at her. “They might not be able to put her back together.”
Silenn bristled. “Are you suggesting that Humans can’t figure out an alien device?”
Halsey slowly turned his head. “I’m suggesting,” he said as if to a child, “that the Grays have built a portable, origin-controlled wormhole generator and we haven’t, despite the obvious advantages it affords. It must be kept as quiet as possible.”
“But too many have already seen it,” Pfizen protested. “You can’t keep something like that under wraps unless we get rid of it entirely.”
Halsey waved a dismissive hand. “The right rumors can cover up just about anything. This Daffyd ap Rhys fellow…” He looked back at Urbica. “We can rely on him to take the credit?”
“He’s a reliable man, sir,” She assured him. “We can count on him to play his part in this.”
“Good,” Halsey thumped the table. “That’s out of the way.” He grinned at her. “Now, what shall we do with you, Colonel Urbica?”
The Grand Senate
Tony stood at the end of a richly paneled pedway. A page stood by the door, his sidearm tucked neatly away in a shoulder holster, but still easily visible to anyone who knew what to look for.
Behind the page stood two security officers. They carried submachine guns and always had a finger near their triggers. Nobody passed through those doors unless they had permission.
The page focused on a distant point for a few seconds and then nodded, looking up at Tony. “It’s time, sir,” he said simply.
The doors swung open and Tony marched out to stand next to the president of the Grand Senate. He’d been in this chamber many times as an assistant to his father, but he’d always been in Senator Nathaniel’s balcony, never down here on the podium.
The balconies were spread out before him in a half-bowl arrangement. The farthest was more than a hundred meters away.
“Under Senate House Rule 3425, paragraph 234b, the house recognizes Anthony Nathaniel.” The president stepped back.
It was the most expensive welcome Tony had ever heard, but he couldn’t afford not to buy it. If this didn’t work, he’d end up imprisoned for inciting dereliction of duty. It didn’t matter that he’d helped save the Imperium, stealing an expedition force was not something CentCom could afford to go easy on.
He took a deep breath and swept his gaze around the room, just as his father had taught him to do. The senate chamber looked a hell of a lot bigger from down here.
“Thank you, Mr. President.” Tony gave him a polite nod. “As the members of this august body are well aware, my father was vaporized by an assassin’s bomb mere meters from where I now stand. I come here today because my father made a commitment to represent the people of sector two-eight-six-six.
“As his only known heir, I offer to fulfill his duties until the next election for class seven.” His only chance was to take his father’s place in the Grand Senate. The law allowed an heir to take on the senatorial duties of a deceased parent, provided his colleagues voted their assent.
It was an efficient system. Senators almost always brought their children to work, grooming them to take on the job in their own time. Tony knew how his father operated, who his allies and enemies were. He would almost certainly be confirmed by the voters at the next election for class seven.
As a senator, Tony should be safe from military justice. They could ask the Eye to arrest him, but they would already be reluctant to punish him, considering what he’d accomplished with the 488. If this worked, CentCom would be able to point to his senatorial rank and look the other way.
The president stepped forward again. “In accordance with law and custom, Anthony Nathaniel offers to fulfill the duties of his deceased father, Grand Senator Hadrian Nathaniel. Are there any here who wish to speak for or against this offer before I call a vote?”
He looked down at a flashing icon on the surface of the podium. “The house recognizes Grand Senator Cicero Spectre-Vandenberg.”
He stepped back once again and a shimmering hologram of the senator appeared. The senatorial balconies were designed to obscure the conversations within and it would take forever for speakers to walk all the way down to the podium, so the regular discourse of the house was conducted by holo-presence.
Spectre-Vandenberg was something of an oddity in the Grand Senate. He rarely wore the top hat common to his social order and his threadbare frock coat was something of a statement on aristocratic waste. Despite his shabby appearance and his thin voice, there were few who dared ignore his words.
“Many of you already know this young man,” he wheezed. “He has spent many years in these halls, learning the family trade, and he has even spent many hours in my own offices. When my eldest was killed, young Anthony took leave from his military duties to assist me.
“He helped to train Mercurius, my youngest son, and he proved himself to be an able administrator. I have no doubt that the people of two-eight-six-six will be well pleased with his tireless service.”
“That’s a lovely story,” a loud voice sneered
from the tiers of balconies, “but it completely fails to consider recent events.”
The president of the House stepped forward, raising a warning hand. “The House has not recognized the representative from sector three-seven-four-two.”
Seneca ignored the president. He left his balcony and began making his way toward the podium. If the president wouldn’t let him activate a projection, then he’d just do it the old fashioned way.
“You speak of his administrative skills,” Seneca shouted as he approached, “but what about his character?” He pointed at Tony. “This man stole a military unit to avoid arrest.”
Tony frowned at him. “You’re not making any sense, Senator. There’s no arrest warrant that I’m aware of. Can you provide us with proof of your wild allegations?”
The smug look had been knocked back a notch on Seneca’s face. Technically, General Pullman had only ordered Tony’s detention so he could play both sides of the fence. He could always claim it had been for Tony’s safety, in the event the plot failed.
But Seneca kept coming. “You stole a military unit,” he repeated, leaving out the weaker accusation this time. He reached the base of the podium and began the thirty-step climb.
Tony couldn’t help but notice how dependent the Grand Senate was on technology. This chamber must have been built with holo technology in mind. If the flow of replacement circuits ever stopped, the senate would accomplish even less than it did now.
It would be his first mission, if he succeeded in filling his father’s post. The production of optical circuits had been largely consolidated at Santa Clara through Imperial apathy. It represented a single point of failure. The Grays would almost certainly attack the planet if the Navy didn’t deploy a major security force immediately.
The smaller producers would have to be given a bigger share of the contracts until they became viable rivals. He wondered how many other weaknesses were waiting to be exploited by an enemy.
Rebels and Patriots (Imperium Cicernus Book 3) Page 22
