Princess Valerie's War

by Terry Mancour

  Next went Duke Valpry and Duke Morland, side by side, each bearing a staff of their office, before Valerie herself arrived, unescorted save eight Golden Hand guards around her, bearing pikes as well as submachine guns, pistols, and swords. The Golden Hand uniforms parroted the black Royal Army of Tanith uniform, save their corps used gold for piping and trim and as the lining for their cloaks. Each one wore a highly-polished dress helmet made out of actual combat helmets, lightly plated in gold.

  Valerie made her way to the throne, first stopping to bow before Lucas’ empty throne, but she did not sit. She waited for the music to fade away before she pulled the discreet microphone to her lips and waited for the crowd to be quiet enough for her to speak.

  “My lords and ladies,” she began. “My loyal subjects, distinguished guests, my noble warriors, children of Tanith, all: we gather here tonight on the eve of the Solstice to honor those who have lost limb or life in the service of the Realm. Unfortunately, there are a lot more of you today than last week, thanks to Garvan Spasso’s vile attack,” she said, and then had to wait for the booing and hissing to subside. “Thanks to your incredible efforts the attack on our world was defeated, and the Heir to the Realm was rescued. It was a long, hard fight, and we lost many, many brave men in the defense of the Realm; but we also taught the galaxy a lesson: when you assail Tanith, you risk losing more than a hand!”

  There was a wild burst of applause at that line, which gratified her. She waited for it to subside before she continued. “I wish that Spasso was the worst danger Tanith has to fear, but he is not. Indeed, today we are functionally at war with the so-called King Omfray of Gram.” More boos and hissing – Tanith had become the chosen port of exile for Omfray’s detractors, and had been since its founding. His recent rise to the throne had only increased the number of exiles, self-imposed and otherwise, who had sought sanctuary on Tanith’s soil.

  “We do not fear Omfray’s designs: indeed, we should thank him. He keeps supplying us the finest of his ships for our fleet!” That caused another wild burst of applause and laughter. The tale of how Lucas took nearly every ship sent to raid Amateratsu was even now being rendered in mosaic on the Trask Shrine in Tradetown. And it was certainly being told in the salons of the Sword Worlds, where Omfray’s reign would not fare well.

  “We do not fear Omfray, we do not fear Spasso, we do not even fear Viktor of Xochitl. While we are not technically at war with our sister Space Viking realm, it’s clear that our interests run counter, and I fear violence with his minions before too long.” More murmuring than hissing and booing, this time. Viktor was not the villain that Omfray or Spasso was; indeed, many of the Space Vikings gathered here had made port at Xochitl between raids.

  “But my lords and ladies, my loyal subjects, and my distinguished guests, there is a cause to fear. Only a few hours ago a ship put in from Marduk, by way of Gimli, and it brought tidings of our Prince.” The murmuring went up in intensity immediately. Prince Lucas was sorely missed, obviously. By her most of all.

  “I think it would be best to show it, rather than tell it, so I’ve erected this screen so that you may all watch, and draw your own conclusions.” That sparked a lot of interested chatter, and she turned around to face the gigantic screen behind her, as the technician caused the microtape to play the news clip and the lights from the enormous floating chandeliers went down.

  Attention, People of Aton! the clip began, with a high-toned male voice providing a voiceover to the background of an incessantly beeping attention signal. The Party’s brave operatives have risked life and limb in pursuit of your freedom and security to bring you this exclusive footage of the outlaw Space Viking base known as Tanith! This once-rustic culture has been transformed by the arrival of the despotic warlord, Lucas Trask, into a virtual slave colony where the people are forced to serve their Sword World masters.

  This self-styled “prince” enforces his brutal rule with elite, heavily-armed thugs, who don’t hesitate to use force and intimidation on the simple neobarbarians of Tanith. They’re forced to work building palaces and war machines for their cruel master. Worse, this arrogant oppressor isn’t content with merely dominating his realm; he insists his subjects mindlessly worship him!

  The scene showed the exterior view of Tradetown, outside the Trask shrine as it was being mobbed by natives seeking entrance. There were Royal Army troopers and Baron Bentfork’s local troops, and it looked like they were forcing the people into the temple against their will. Then the interior was shown, the giant statues of the Trasks looking menacing, not comforting, from the angle. Garvan Spasso’s gruesome gold-plated forearm figured prominently.

  Even his grisly trophies are hauled out so that the people are forced to adore them. Not content with raiding unfortunate neobarbarian worlds for loot, recently the Space Viking overlord unsuccessfully attempted to raid Marduk, itself, in an ill-conceived attempt to overthrow the admittedly corrupt and antiquated monarchy. Working with fellow Space Viking madman, Andray Dunnan, and local political demagogue Zaspar Makann, Trask was barely stopped before he achieved his sinister goal.

  Valerie was surprised by the bitter outcry from the audience as Lucas was mentioned in the same breath as that madman Dunnan – she hadn’t realized just how personally her subjects took that insult. She watched the people seethe as they watched re-hashed file footage from the Marduk Affair. Space Vikings patrolling outside of the Royal Palace. The hard-fought street battles with the People’s Watchmen. The pillaging of Drepplin. And plenty of blurry ship-to-ship footage from the space battle.

  When finally cornered in the Royal Palace, he turned on his own allies, executed Dunnan at close range, and retreated after his people caused considerable damage to the working-class city of Drepplin. But Trask did not depart this bastion of the Old Federation empty-handed: he took with him one of the noble Mardukan ladies he fancied from the royal court, forcibly marrying her and coercing her into his violent ideology.

  Valerie hardened her heart at this – the very idea that she had been anything other than willing to marry Lucas was an insult! Anyone who knew them – and in a society as small as Tanith’s, nearly everyone did – knew how much in love they were with each other. The natural gallantry of the Sword World culture came to the fore and she heard deep cries of “shame! Shame!” from her people over the soundtrack.

  Not content with robbing the civilized worlds of their beauty, Trask went on to force his new bride to roam the galaxy, raiding brothels and seraglios for nubile beauties to add to his increasingly growing harem.

  If Lucas’ description as an ally to Dunnan had caused anger, the footage of Valerie bringing home the Tanith natives that had been illegally sold as off-world slaves inspired pure rage. Since there were several of the survivors in the audience, there were also several isolated outbursts as individuals took violent exception to the charge. Valerie looked at herself -- a little dazed, of course, after what amounted to her first solo Space Viking raid – but what really bothered her was her shape. She’d been six months pregnant at the time, and sleep had been infrequent, but she couldn’t get over how absolutely huge the camera made her look. That alone was worth going to war with the Atonians, in her book. No one should be flaunted on screen in front of a dozen worlds when she’s six months pregnant. She turned back towards the audience to gauge their reaction. There were tears and looks of appalled outrage. Good.

  So rapacious is this warlord that Trask has been disowned even by the brutal militaristic Sword World regimes. The so-called Prince is considered an outlaw and a rebel by his former masters, who themselves are widely known for their cruel exploitation. His audacity is so great that he intruded on the recent gathering of peaceful civilizations at Volund, brazenly suggesting that the civilized worlds of the galaxy bend their collective knee and join his so-called ‘League of Civilized Worlds’, a code-name for imperial conquest.

  The screen view changed to a couple of unflattering clips of Lucas at diplomatic receptions on Volund
last year. In one shot he was with one of the Atonian ambassadors, looking menacing, and the way he gesticulated as he spoke made him seem even more threatening. Then the scene switched back to more space ship battles involving Tanith ships, taken from TanithNews’ own archives, she figured.

  But how it ended provoked the most outrage of all.

  But fear not, citizens of Aton! You and the other civilized worlds are being constantly guarded by the brave men and women of the Atonian Planetary Defense Force! News has just arrived of the capture of the outlaw pirate in a daring raid by the ADFS Concorde, deep in enemy territory! Outraged by Trask’s recent illegal and deadly blockade of a world protected by the recent Volund Treaty, the APDF and party officials prepared a complex, multi-world operation called SicSemperTyrannis, in which the outlaw Space Viking was forced from hiding and captured! The infamous Trask and some of his band of cutthroats were taken into custody after a brisk battle in orbit above one of his conquered worlds, and it is our proud duty to report he is now in Atonian hands!

  They showed footage of the Atonian ship, a thousand foot cruiser, firing on an obviously helpless pinnace at the far edge of Beowulf’s system. Then it switched to a shot of captured Tanith space men being led off in manacles, Lucas glaring stoically as he was pushed forward by one of the Atonian troopers.

  The Party is pleased to report that after being fairly tried for his crimes before a Special Party Tribunal, the bandit Trask was mercifully sentenced to receive re-education and rehabilitation at a state-of-the-art offworld facility. Once his atavistic and violent tendencies are treated by a crack staff of Atonian behavioral scientists, it is possible that even this tyrant may someday be a productive member of society! His half-understood ravings at his trial bear witness to his madness, possibly caused by radiation or congenital effects: Let’s listen, to when he’s asked if he has anything to say, any comment, or any defense for his manifold crimes! Is he remorseful? Is he repentant? Let’s find out!

  Prince Lucas looked out from the screen, weeks worth of beard having accumulated on his chin, and he was strongly defiant. The producers had used tricks of the light to make him look dangerous, and it was clear that the bags under his eyes were due to exhaustion, but the gleam in his eyes – intended to convey menace to the Atonian audience – were signs of his fierce determination, as anyone who knew Lucas was aware. His hands were bound in manacles before him, but he stood, proud and un-stooped, in his prisoner’s garb as a microphone was shoved into his face.

  “Any comment, Lucas Trask?” asked the eager reporter. “Anything at all? Is there anything you want to say to the rest of the galaxy?”

  Lucas thought for a moment, and smiled, then looked directly into the camera:

  “Tell the Baroness I’ll dance with her at the sandcastle. That’s a promise.”

  Hearing his voice, even by audiovisual tape, made Valerie’s heart ache. The message was even worse. She could feel the promise, the edge, the danger in his voice, but the words were directly for her, and no one else.

  What do the crazed ravings of this mad Space Viking warlord mean? Who is this mysterious ‘Baroness’? What diabolical device is a ‘sandcastle’? And what double meaning does ‘dance’ possess? Truly, this is a dangerous, unpredictable man, fellow citizens! But fear not! He is now safely on his way to a facility where he and his demented band can be properly cared for – far away from civilized folk.

  But is the Space Viking menace abated? Not even close – there are hundreds of these marauding ships brazenly raping the planets of the Old Federation, and the sinister Sword Worlds are behind them! Trask is just the first of these lawless tyrants to intrude on our peaceful space – he wont be the last! It’s possible that Trask even possesses vital intelligence concerning a future Space Viking invasion! But rest assured, citizens! Your Party continues to protect you from the likes of Trask, even as you sleep!

  The shot panned back, showing Lucas and his men – she recognized Lt. Delio, and a few others – being led aboard an Atonian ship, their heads held high, proud and defiant. As the image faded and the lights came back up, the entire space port seemed to shake with the rumble of fury that the assembled felt. Someone started a chant, at the back of the crowd, and it spread through the crowd like wildfire:

  “WAR! WAR! WAR! WAR!” the people demanded. Valerie was caught a little off-guard at the intensity of the response – these people were really angry! She let the chanting gather strength and fill the entire room, as she paced back and forth in front of the thrones, looking intently into the audience. Then she raised her hand, and in a few moments the noise died down enough for her to be heard over the PA system.

  “This is . . . unbearable. The Planetary Republic of Aton has illegally kidnapped a foreign head-of-state on his own territory, put him before a kangaroo court, and then imprisoned him indefinitely on a whim. People of Tanith, will you bear this insult?” she asked, her voice breaking as she asked.

  “NO! WAR!” they shouted.

  “Not only was Lucas and the rest of his gallant crew kidnapped illegally, the Atonians then had the gall to charge him with crimes, crimes committed in pursuit of some foreign power who was illegally trading rifles for the beautiful women of Tanith – a power widely believed by the Realm’s intelligence agencies to be Aton, itself! When Lucas traced those rifles – that deliberate interference in Tanith’s affairs -- back to its source last year, the line ran straight to Aton. They meddled in our affairs first! My dear husband was, in my opinion, far too lenient on the Atonians at the time. But he is a merciful man, and a wise monarch.

  “I, people of Tanith, am feeling far less merciful,” she said, letting her pent-up emotions come roaring out. “In the last few months I’ve had bombs thrown at me, explosions in my home, my residence invaded, my child abducted, my city ravaged, my dear friends attacked, and my husband kidnapped. And anyone who labors under the idea that I somehow fetched Prince Lucas a harem back from the stars obviously doesn’t know how much he loves me, and I him.” There were a few laughs to soften the tension in the room.

  “Indeed, when you heard his ‘mad ravings’ from that mockery of a courtroom, I will let you in on a little State Secret: that sandcastle he mentioned was a special hideaway he built for us as a winter palace on a tropical island as an anniversary present.” At her cue, a picture of the quaint little bungalow appeared. It did, indeed, look exactly like a sandcastle. “In fact, he not only built me the house, he made the dinky little island it was on a ‘barony’, and made me the ‘baroness’. Officially, I’m Baroness Valerie of Valeria, and that’s our special little place. It’s our place to escape to, when we need peace and quiet and less grenades being thrown at us. And yes, we danced there,” she continued, tears in her eyes. “Pregnant and looking big as a spaceship, my darling husband danced with me on the beach and called me beautiful – and that, my friends, that sentiment is what they are calling ‘mad raving’!”

  There was an audible increase in volume – and she noticed several women weeping. She discovered that she was one of them. She didn’t dab the tears away – they were honestly made, and she wanted them seen.

  “So the Atonians dare to steal away our prince – this ‘tyrant’, as they have imagined him! They expect the people of Tanith to dry up and blow away without him! They expect us to be picked bare by Viktor or Omfray! They figure that once Lucas is safely locked away, they won’t have to worry about the people of Tanith any more!

  “Well, my friends, my subjects, my noble warriors, while I am not from the Sword Worlds,” she said, crossing the stage to where Nikkolay was standing, and took the heavy Sword of State by the hilt, “I want the people of Aton to know this ‘civilized’ princess can wield a sword!” She thrust the blade into the air – thankful she’d been working out as much as she had, lest it come clanging right back down again – and the crowd burst into wild cheers.

  “And while I was not born a Space Viking, I want the people of Aton to know that I am proud sovereign of a
fell and valiant people. We are a small planet, compared to Aton. But that does not make us less dangerous. It does not make us easier to push around. Garvan Spasso learned the price of meddling in our affairs – should we spare the Atonians the same treatment?”

  “WAR! WAR! WAR!” came the chant.

  She handed the sword back to Nikkolay, who looked stunned at her performance – and he had helped plan it. “My lords and ladies and gentle guests and loyal subjects, tonight, the night of the Solstice, I make this my vow in front of you all: we shall show the Atonians the fury of the men of Tanith! Do they fear Space Vikings? Is their poor little world still suffering from a self-confidence problem after over a century? Did Havilgar the Hapless of Haulteclere scare them into paranoia? I swear to you, my people, we shall give the Atonians a real reason to fear Space Vikings! For I, Sovereign Princess Valerie Trask, by my hand and with my whole heart, do this night declare on behalf of the Realm war on Aton and all of its allies and provinces, until Lucas Trask sits once more on that throne!”