The Fight for Britannia 7: Civil War

by Saxon Andrew

  “I understand that you have some information that you will only disclose to me.”

  Devin kept his head bowed and said, “Yes Prime Minister. I’m reluctant to reveal it with others present.”

  “That is not an option. Everyone in this room has proven they can be trusted with state secrets. Tell me what you know that is so important.”

  “I’ve just left Britannia where I managed to get a job working in their fleet operations building as a custodian. Recently, I managed to hear the thoughts of one of their senior admirals discussing some issues with the Planet Leader.”

  “And their thoughts weren’t blocked?!” the First Assistant instantly interjected.

  Devin turned to him, “The entire building has a thought blocking field around it and most of the upper floors have multiple thought blocking fields around them as well. However, this particular Admiral had left a meeting with the Planet Leader and was leaving the building. His communicator went off and he stopped to speak to the Planet Leader; I listened in to his mind during that conversation.”

  “Wasn’t that dangerous? They must have had telepaths present to detect something like that taking place.”

  “I was lucky, Mr. Prime Minister. The telepath assigned to the lobby had stepped outside the building and I didn’t detect another telepath near us. I felt the risk was worth it.”

  The Prime Minister nodded, “Go on.”

  “The Planet Leader wanted to know when their contacts on New Sydney had last communicated with him.” The Prime Minister’s eyes flew wide open. Devin continued, “I learned that Britannia has four spies operating inside our military and are sending information to the Planet Leader. I also sensed there is a fifth spy operating inside the government, but the Officer really didn’t know about that for sure. I also learned they know that we have scouts in their system spying on them.”

  The Prime Minister’s face instantly turned angry and the First Assistant said forcefully, “WHO ARE THEY?”

  Devin turned to him, “The officer I was listening to didn’t have any names. All he knew was their code names.”

  “WHAT NAMES?” the Prime Minister demanded.

  “They are called Earth, Wind, Fire, and Rain. The Admiral didn’t know what they looked like or where they were stationed. However, he knew that they were in positions to know everything about what was going on among our military forces.”

  The Prime Minister turned to the First Assistant, “THESE TRAITORS MUST BE FOUND AND KILLED!”

  The First Assistant’s eyes narrowed, and he replied, “How do we know this telepath isn’t a Britannia spy and isn’t telling us a lie to deceive us?” The Prime Minister’s eyes narrowed, and the First Assistant ordered, “Turn off the thought field around the telepath!” Devin felt the field disappear and the First Assistant glared at him with an evil expression, “You will open your mind now!” Devin knew this was the critical moment and hoped all his work would prevent him being uncovered. The First Assistant turned to the two telepaths, “Tell me what you see!”

  Devin felt the two telepaths enter his mind and they deliberately worked in different parts of his brain trying to cause him to be confused. Devin deliberately allowed his mind to run free and acting confused wasn’t an issue; he was. After ten minutes, the telepaths turned to the First Assistant and one said, “He’s telling the truth.”

  The other replied, “He is completely loyal to the Colonies and believed risking his life to bring this information to the Prime Minister was worth it to protect the Colonies.”

  The First Assistant looked at the three guards, “You are dismissed.” The three guards holstered their blasters but one of them dropped his blaster and it fell inside the white circle. Devin picked it up by the barrel and held it out to the guard that dropped it, “You should be more careful around the Prime Minister.”

  The First Assistant ordered, “Look at the blaster.” Devin’s head tilted and he examined the blaster. The power light was glowing green, but he saw that the barrel was solid; it was a fake. The Prime Minister smiled, “You have proven your loyalty. If you had tried to use that blaster, you would have been immediately hit with a blaster beam from above you.”

  Devin realized in that moment that they were unaware that he had seen the force field around the Prime Minister. Devin said to the First Assistant, “My loyalty is to the Prime Minister and his defense of the Colonies.” Devin bowed his head before adding, “I’ve delivered the information I’ve uncovered, and I should report back to my Commander to be debriefed.”

  The First Assistant shook his head, “Remain where you are.”

  “What are you thinking?” the Prime Minister asked.

  “If we allow him to go back and be debriefed, there is a good possibility his information would get out and warn these traitors that we’re on to them. They would go to ground and we’d never be able to find them.”

  “What do you suggest we do?”

  The First Assistant glanced at Devin and said to the Prime Minister, “We send this telepath out to find them.”

  Devin raised his head, “Excellency, that would be extremely difficult.”

  “Tell me why,” the Prime Minister inquired.

  “Sir, I have no idea what rank these traitors have in our military and we have more than a million warships in our fleets. It would be like finding a particular grain of sand on a large beach.”

  The First Assistant instantly interjected, “I noticed that you didn’t say it was impossible.”

  “Given enough time, they might be found.”

  “How much time?” the Prime Minister asked.

  Devin shrugged, “Less than a year. Maybe even quicker than that but I would have to have access to all of our fleets and their personnel. If I suddenly show up for no reason, the traitors may put on thought helmets and prevent me from hearing their thoughts. There is also the issue that the senior officers in our fleets may stand in my way of looking around their fleets.”

  The First assistant turned to the Prime Minister smiling, “This is a stroke of good fortune Sir.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Not only can this telepath look for the traitors, but he can also inform us of any officer that can’t be trusted to follow your orders.” The Prime Minister thought about it and started nodding. The First Assistant turned to Devin, “You are promoted to Senior Fleet Admiral and we’re going to announce that you are being sent out by direct orders of the Prime Minister to inspect our fleets’ readiness. That would give you a perfect excuse for showing up at our fleets and the Fleet’s Senior Officers will be forced to cooperate with your inspections.”

  Devin nodded slightly and said, “I could order all the Garrions to conduct maneuvers and I could look at hundreds of them and save time in the search.”

  “Can you do that?” The Prime Minister asked.

  “Yes. Getting them out of our thought screened carriers will make it easier. I’ll inspect the Carrier crews when I go on board.” Devin paused and said, “I’m humbled by your trust in me and feel unworthy of doing this.”

  The Prime Minister smiled, “You are now a part of my inner circle of advisors. Stay in touch with my First Assistant and keep him informed of your progress.”

  “Yes Sir. Should I report back to Admiral Bellemy before I start this mission?”

  “Absolutely not!” the First Assistant replied. “I will contact him and inform him that you are on permanent assignment to the Prime Minister. Does that pose a problem Admiral?”

  “There is a woman I’ve been seeing but my personal life comes second to protecting the Colonies.”

  The First Assistant smiled, “Tell me how to contact her and I’ll inform her that you will no longer be available to communicate with her.”

  Devin sighed and nodded, “That will prevent some emotional issues if I tell her. She’ll take it better coming from you Sir.”

  The Prime Minister smiled, “If I had doubts about you, you’ve just removed them. Putting
the Colonies ahead of your personal life is proof you’re with us.”

  The First Assistant looked at his console and said, “I’ve ordered a ship for you to carry out your assignment.”

  “Sir, what do you want me to do if I find these spies?”

  “Kill them.”

  “Sir?”

  “Kill them instantly,” the Prime Minister interjected.

  “Wouldn’t you prefer to interrogate them to confirm I’m right about their treachery?”

  The First Assistant’s expression showed just how evil he was, “We trust your judgment and if a mistake is made, no big deal. Just find them!”

  Devin nodded and left the Prime Minister’s office. A Fleet Captain met him outside the door and saluted, “Sir, please come with me to be sized for your new uniforms and afterwards, I’ll take you to your ship.”

  Devin returned his salute and replied, “Thank you Captain. I’ll also need a fleet registry of our fleets and their current locations.”

  “That information is being installed on your ship now.”

  “Will I have a crew?”

  “No, you will be operating a one-man warship. Having someone else on board might compromise your mission.” Devin nodded and followed the Captain out of the building.

  • • •

  Vickie Goins sat with Admiral Bellemy and he said, “Tell me what you were told by the Prime Minister’s office.”

  “The First Assistant contacted me directly Sir. He informed me that he regretted having to tell me that Devin was being permanently assigned to the Prime Minister’s staff and that he would be unable to see or contact me in the future. He said that Devin was upset by the separation but understood why it had to be done.”

  “How did you take that Vickie?”

  Vickie shrugged, “I was basically told the relationship between Devin and I is over.”

  “How do you feel about that?” Bellemy asked.

  “I hate to admit it, but I’m relieved. I’ve never liked spying on him and pretending I loved him. He’s a good man and didn’t deserve it.”

  “Are you going to try and contact him?”

  “Oh hell no!”

  “Why not?”

  “The First Assistant made it clear we are over and that he wouldn’t be contacting me. I’m not going to do something stupid and attempt to talk with Devin. Why would you want me to do that?”

  “I’ve received word that Devin has been promoted to Senior Admiral and I’m wondering why. The information he took to the Prime Minister must have been a doozy; that’s the only reason I can come up with to account for his promotion. I’d like to know more.”

  “Sir, I think if I attempt to communicate with him…that will be the last thing I do in this life.”

  Bellemy sighed, “You’re probably right about that. Well, your assignment is over, and you can get on with your personal life.”

  Vickie glanced at the telepath before saying, “Thank you Sir.”

  Vickie left his office and Bellemy looked at the Major, “You know how to handle this.”

  “Yes Sir. I’ll make it look like an accident.”

  Bellemy thought about it and then said, “Don’t do any harm to her…yet. McKay may try to communicate with her, and I’d like to know what he tells her.”

  “Do I continue the relationship with her?”

  “If you want.”

  The Major shrugged, “I will until I find someone else.” Bellemy shrugged and turned to his computer. He’d give McKay a while to contact her and if he doesn’t, oh well.

  • • •

  Devin took his ship off New Sydney and moved outside the defensive fleet. He flew at high speed performing radical turns and found that he liked this new ship. He stopped and opened his mind. He didn’t detect any telepathic energy from the fleets, and he focused on finding a particular person. A few minutes later he heard, “It appears you pulled it off.”

  Devin smiled slightly, this woman’s thoughts sounded good, “Yes, I did, and I exceeded my expectations.”

  “By-the-way, my name is Charlotte.”

  “And my name is Devin. I’ve been promoted to Senior Admiral and tasked with finding the traitors in the Colony Fleets.”

  “Wow! What are you planning to do with that much authority?”

  “Before I get into that, I mentioned that finding the suspected traitors could take a year and the Prime Minister didn’t flinch. It appears he’s not planning anything for the near future. You need to get that information back to Britannia.”

  “I’ll send it shortly.”

  Devin paused and then said, “I intend to find the best senior officers in the Colony Fleets that are loyal to the Prime Minister and remove them.”

  “Remove them?”

  “He’s ordered me to kill any traitors I find and doesn’t care to investigate to see if I’m right. I hope to weaken the Colony fleets by removing their best commanders.”

  “You intend to murder them in cold blood?”

  “Charlotte, you know the Colonies are going to ultimately attack Britannia and those officers can cause a massive loss of life in our fleets and on the planet. Do you prefer to wait until they’re leading an attack against Britannia? One thing I learned in my meeting with the Prime Minister, all of them are evil and kill simply because they like doing it. If you think I’m wrong in doing this, tell me now and I’ll back off.”

  “And you’d not do it simply on my say so?”

  “Cami told me she respects you and that tells me enough to know that I should pay attention to what you say. If you say no, then it’s no.”

  “No, you should kill the bastards. I just wanted to make sure.”

  “Sure of what?”

  “That you’re not a heartless killer. Cami also respects you and that does say a lot. Keep me informed on anything you find out.”

  “I will. Stay safe.”

  “You too, Devin.”

  • • •

  Devin set course for one of the Colony fleets and thought about what to do about a conversation he listened in on. He listened to Vickie several floors below the Prime minister’s office tell Admiral Bellemy about what the First Assistant told her and continued to listen in after she left Bellemy’s office. Vickie was in danger and that Major was evil incarnate; Bellemy wasn’t much better. He saw no way of warning her about the Major without him being able to see it in her thoughts. She had deceived him and used him, but she didn’t like doing it; she wasn’t like them. He sighed and decided there was nothing he could do. But it bothered him. He put the issue aside and looked at the information on the Fleet he was headed out to inspect.

  • • •

  The First Assistant walked into the Prime Minister’s secure office and he looked up, “What’s up?”

  The First Assistant smiled, “Our newest telepath has left to inspect one of our fleets.”

  “That was quick.”

  “He’s motivated Sir. One of the telepaths on our staff told me he truly believes that Britannia is a real threat to the Colonies, and he’s determined to do everything possible to uncover the traitors.”

  The Prime Minister thought about his Assistant’s statement and he asked, “Did you contact that woman he was in a relationship with?”

  “I did. Why do you ask?”

  “It never hurts to have a hidden benefit.”

  “What are you suggesting, Sir?”

  “Transfer her from her current position and give her a position close to here. If we need to use her to convince that telepath to follow our orders…”

  The First Assistant smiled, “That is an excellent idea. We’ll threaten to execute her if he doesn’t do what he’s told. You are a genius.”

  The Prime Minister smiled at the complement, “You can never be too sure of anything.”

  “I’ll have her transferred to a position in Fleet Operations. We just won’t let the telepath know we’ve done it.”

  “Oh, I think it would be good for him to know.�
��

  “What?”

  “Promote her to Major and if the telepath says anything, tell him we feel bad by what we’ve done to her and want to make up for it by giving her a higher paying position.”

  The First Assistant shook his head, “You are incredible. He’ll know she’s close to us and we can remove her if he doesn’t play well with us.” The Prime Minister shook his head. “What? Am I missing something?”

  “That thought wouldn’t even enter his mind. He’ll believe we’re being kind to her and solidify his trust in us. He’s too blinded by his loyalty to see anything else. We’ll probably never have to use her as a pawn.”

  “You’re right.” The First Assistant smiled, “It never hurts to have some leverage.”

  “Have you decided on who is going to command our fleets?”

  I’ve been discussing it with Admiral Bellamy, and he suggests we use Admiral Jordan.”

  “Why?”

  “He says his loyalty is unquestionable.”

  “Loyalty to who?” The Prime Minister asked through narrowed eyes.

  The First Assistant hesitated and then said, “To him, I guess. He was Bellamy’s Second-in-Command while he commanded a fleet.” The First Assistant saw the Prime Minister’s expression and said, “You don’t like that, do you?”

  “No, I don’t. That places too much power in Bellamy’s hands.”

  “Do you not trust him?”

  “The only one I fully trust is you. Who else is being considered?”

  “Admiral Gemini was second on the list.”

  “I’m not familiar with him.”

  The First Assistant raised his hands, “He’s scored the highest on every test on fleet maneuvers and understanding the nuances of space combat. He’s risen through the ranks quickly and he apparently owes no loyalty to any other officer.”

  The Prime Minister sat back and was silent for a moment before asking, “If I ordered both of them to execute Admiral Bellamy, what do you think would happen?”

  The First Assistant thought for a moment and then replied, “I’m not sure about Jordan carrying out the order. Gemini wouldn’t hesitate to carry out the order.”

  “Order our telepath to go and look at Admiral Gemini to see if he can be trusted to follow his orders. If he passes, he will be promoted to command our fleets.”