by John Walker
Renz nodded. “Disengage.”
“Sir?” Porth asked. “The Triton is right where we want them. If we press—”
“I have no intention of repeating myself,” Renz interrupted.
“I’ve got this,” Kivda said. He stepped down to the others, speaking quietly.
A number of thoughts drifted through his mind. Am I the new Lord Marshal? Then, less political, have I lost my father? Both filled him with far more dread than he anticipated. He figured if the man ever died, he’d know about it well in advance. Either through an assassination attempt or illness.
The former of which he’d given up on.
I have to return home. Renz stood. “Vhel, inform the other ships that we will be leaving as soon as we collect our men and resources. If they… they have the opportunity to hit the Brekka, they can take it otherwise…” He hesitated. “Otherwise, let them go. They are not important.”
“Yes, sir.” Vhel nodded. “I’m on it.”
Renz half stumbled into his office, closing the door. He leaned against it, drawing a deep breath. The emotions pouring through him were familiar… he simply hadn’t felt them since he attended school. That’s my father… I didn’t think I cared but… I thought I wanted this. A burning question filled his mind.
Am I ready for him to be gone? Renz knew the answer… and it frightened him.
***
“They’re going to manual warp,” Molush announced. “So… that’s going to be something.”
Griel laughed. “I had to do that, guys. Sorry. I mean, at this point, it’s either find it funny or cry.” He checked his terminal. “Wait… what about Renz? He just hit them and now his ship is… what, moving back to orbit? What’s going on there? Why in the name of all that’s divine and filthy would he break off the attack?”
The elevator opened. Niva stepped on. She looked awful. Dirt covered her face, matting her hair. She still wore her armor, battle-scarred and scuffed with blood and muck. She didn’t even look at any of them before taking her seat, tapping at the console.
“Um… hi there,” Griel said, “welcome aboard?”
“I’m trying to reach that bastard Jok,” Niva replied.
“Who?”
“The guy in the starship that flew out of here. He might still be in the system, and if so, I want him aboard the Brekka. Now.”
“Pretty sure he’s long gone,” Molush replied. “And we’ve got other strange things happening to boot.”
“I’m assuming you have those under control.”
“The Kahl aren’t attacking us,” Griel said. “In fact, Authen, fall back to a safe position and prep us for warp. I want to follow the Triton out of here.”
“What do you mean they aren’t attacking?” Niva turned to the screen. “They’re… heading to the planet? Why?”
“Presumably to fight the war going on down there?” Griel shrugged. “You tell us.”
“It’s a long story. Suffice to say, if they go down there, they’ll slaughter the natives. I don’t care how effective that defense thing is, you can walk through it. We sure as hell did. I didn’t even think about it when we did it.” Niva shivered. “Divine light, I’m glad it let us through. What a stupid mistake to not even try—”
“Whoa!” Griel interrupted. “I think you should report to Medical. You need some downtime and a checkup.”
“I’m fine.”
“And I just gave you an order,” Griel replied, “I’ll come down after we’re done to talk to you more but right now, I want someone to make sure you’re good to go.” He took off his safety belt, coming to join her. “I flew halfway across this sector to save you. Don’t be stubborn and waste my efforts, huh?”
Niva glared at him. “Molush, keep trying to find that ship.” She stormed out.
“You’re welcome!” Griel shouted after her. “Authen, how’re we doing?”
“Pulling away… without incident. So far.”
“Triton?”
“Uh…” Molush looked at his controls. “They’re powering up. Looks like they’re making it happen.”
“Gotta love those crazy humans. They do whatever it takes.” Griel looked at the viewscreen. Can’t wait to find out what happened to you bastards to make you leave. “Wait a minute… I know why they’re freaking out!” He clapped his hands. “Ha! They just told Renz about his father! He didn’t know!”
“What?” Authen asked. “How would he not…”
“He was probably in warp or too far out to get the message.” Griel took his seat. “I practically guarantee that’s the case. Oh, wow… the Kahl saved our lives by bringing news of internal struggles. Fantastic. I mean, really. That’s fantastic. Don’t you think, Molush? Honestly, we knew before he did. Amazing.”
“It’s a sound theory,” Molush replied. “There’s no other reason for them not to come after us I guess.”
“We knew first.” Griel laughed again. “I can’t get over it. I’ll tell Titus later. They have a countdown yet?”
“Yes, sir. They’re…” Molush paused. “They’re out.”
“Take us after them, Authen.” Griel secured his safety belt, smirking at the viewscreen. Enjoy fretting about your father, Renz. Time you felt the same pain I did. Even if the bastard isn’t dead, you can worry about it a while longer. Serves you right. The ship shuddered around him as they left their enemies behind.
And a grieving son we probably won’t see for a very long time. What a day.
Chapter 12
Sev directed Aeden to take up a position near the elevator doors. The man took up his duties as personal bodyguard again once they entered the tower. Others from the unit remained in the lobby and at the landing pad. Until they caught someone for attacking the house, everyone had to be on high alert.
They were set to meet Chauldin Griva, the head of intelligence. The man claimed to have heard about the attack only as it was happening, and that none of his people intercepted any sort of plan prior to the event. Sev didn’t believe him. About either point.
Aeden offered to kill the man the moment he entered the room. Sometimes, the bodyguards could become a bit zealous. He figured that if Griva died, the truth would come out somehow. Sev preferred a less direct approach. Besides, if they were wrong, they’d be killing a man who did a reasonable job.
I have to play this delicately. Outing his people for messing with Cirilla won’t do me any good. That’s a secret I’ll have to use sparingly. Then there was the matter of Milna. It’s been long enough I can’t even confirm she’s still alive. Griva might’ve known about the secret division of agents she belonged to.
But Sev couldn’t be sure. And that was the rub of the entire situation. He was unaware of how his people pursued knowledge and what they uncovered in their searches. They were all decent at their jobs; good enough to be formidable. Which is what I need to discover during this conversation.
“My Lord,” Aeden called out, “they are here.”
“I want to speak to Griva with just you and me present. None of his people are welcome in this room.”
“Of course.”
“Do you have men to match his?”
“For every one of his, I have two available on the floor. In case they are more dangerous than I’ve anticipated.”
Griva will notice. Sev sighed. It can’t be helped. We have to be cautious at this point. If they’ve decided to initiate a coup, then they represent a threat large enough to put that much of a force to use. His next encounter involved the clergy. He prayed they weren’t the problem. They’ve amassed quite a bit of power. They should still be loyal though.
That came down to how much more they wanted. After all, they ascended to power thanks to him. If they entered some kind of conflict against him, it might be one of the nastiest internal battles the Kahl had ever seen. A civil war we cannot survive with enemies at our throats as we push ever further away from home.
“Send him in then.” Sev perched on his desk, hands clasped in his lap. The e
levator door opened a moment later. Griva emerged, wearing his light gray uniform. The high neck covered his throat. Folded sleeves were secured with shimmering buttons. Trousers tucked into black boots.
His black hair hung to his neck, swept back from his tan brow. Thin cheeks showed off prominent cheekbones. He kept his face smooth, always favoring a fancy, cleaned-up look. As he approached, he maintained perfect posture, pausing fifteen feet away before dropping into a low bow.
“My Lord,” Griva intoned before straightening again. “I apologize for the lapse in our efforts. This heinous attack will be dealt with posthaste. My people are looking into it right and when they—”
“Stop.” Sev held up his hand. “I don’t need you offering me lengthy explanations as you attempt to anticipate what I have to say. What you’ve just said leads me to believe your people did not pick up any sort of chatter regarding this assault prior to it happening, is that right? You have no idea who might be behind it?”
“Alas, I’m afraid not.” Griva lifted his shoulders. “If they are a prominent faction, then they have done their business through some means beyond the technical. We suspect physical writing. Potentially transported documents between conspirators. If that’s the case, it would explain the problem.”
“But you should have people with their ears to the ground,” Sev replied. “Such a method of talking cannot go unnoticed for long. So I refuse to believe you heard nothing about it at all.”
“We receive many notices of threats,” Griva said, “but we do not take them all seriously. After all, chances are good they are false.”
“Why would you suggest that? Why not warn my guards at the very least?”
“Last month alone, we intercepted over one hundred threats on your life. Only five of those were credible. And of those, not a single one manifested itself as a genuine attack. You know this. I gave the briefing to you personally.”
“Yes, I recall that meeting. If memory serves, you have safeguards to ensure every threat goes through my personal bodyguard. Is that not so?”
“We send it to Aeden, yes.”
“And yet…” Sev gestured. Aeden stepped forward. “What do you have to say about that?”
“We received no message from intelligence about this event. Not for several shifts.”
“I…” Griva cleared his throat. Finally, his stoic expression turned nervous. “I’m sure there’s a simple explanation. I thought I spoke to the right people, but I’ll have to do so again. Ensure they know why they failed to make this request. And then perhaps we can go through the—”
“You failed in your duties,” Aeden said. “And now you’re hoping to buy time to make excuses.”
“Now, now,” Sev interrupted. “Let’s not throw a rock just yet. Griva, you must admit this sounds bad. Why would any of your people not bring this to your attention? Or ours for that matter? Do you have someone in your midst you cannot trust?”
“I didn’t say that!” Griva clenched his fists. “My Lord, I am sorry but… but you can’t… you cannot simply…”
“You should weigh your words,” Sev replied. “You’ll want to sound like you’re thinking through any statement you make. Allegations need backing. Ideas should be presented appropriately, meaning you call them hypotheses, guesses, or facts. That’s how you proceed for the rest of our talk.”
“Cautiously,” Aeden added.
“I understand your concern,” Griva said. “But you must realize we had nothing to do with this?”
“Must I?” Sev clicked his tongue. “I’m not feeling confident.”
“Have you examined your own people?” Griva gestured to Aeden. “Found out what they know?”
“You’re treading dangerously.” Sev shook his head. “Don’t force a hand. And anyway, your job is to anticipate threats to our nation. To take the fight to our adversaries in the field. To bring back information which can help us fulfill our military goals. Right now, I’m wondering if you can do any of these things.”
“We both know I’ve delivered countless amounts of good information—”
“In the past.” Sev stood. He approached the man but with every step, Aeden drew nearer. He worried about starting an altercation, so he returned to the desk, walking around behind it. “We are in a dangerous present. One where I nearly died. And that of my consort as well.”
“Unfortunate events,” Griva replied, “as I said.”
“While we’re on the topic of Cirilla…”
“And what about her?” Griva asked. “Have you checked up on her background? Her problems? Does she owe someone something?”
“I should ask you,” Sev said. “But before you ask the obvious question, I don’t believe she had a part to play in the attack.”
Griva stiffened. “Are you accusing me of something?”
Sev paused for a long moment before nodding. “Yes. I believe you tried to plant her with me.”
“Ridiculous…”
“You found out we had a connection then pressed her into service to find information first at my home and then in my bed.”
“Much like this woman Milna you have working directly for you? Off the intelligence roster?”
Ah, he’s been keeping that one close to the chest for quite a while. Well done, Griva. I thought you might’ve been weak. Maybe you’ll prove me wrong yet. Time to keep playing… keep dancing. The worst part of politics.
“I’m not sure what you’re referring to.”
“Oh, really?” Griva scoffed. “You went outside our ranks a long time ago. Is it any wonder we wanted tabs on you? If we’re going to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our empire, we must have access to all the information. We need to know the secrets, or we can’t protect you from them.”
“You just admitted to treason,” Aeden said. “How dare you take it upon yourself to spy on the Lord Marshal!”
“We are spies!” Griva shouted back. “This is what we do for the good of all our people. The entire population benefits from our efforts, you idiot!” He stepped closer to Aeden, staring him in the eyes. “And we will do whatever it takes to ensure our culture lives on. One way or another. Do you understand?”
“That time may be drawing to a close,” Aeden said. “And when it does, your skin will act as the curtain when we bring the whole thing down.”
“Enough!” Sev shouted. “Be straight. How did you find out about Milna?”
“Tapped comms at your home.”
“Cirilla?” Aeden asked.
“No, long before her. We found out about the Lord Marshal’s penchant for dealing with some problems in a subtle manner through a criminal we picked up. None of us handled that pirate vessel so it must’ve been someone else. And as we dug, we found other operatives. Milna herself was far more difficult.”
“Who breached the house?” Aeden looked on the verge of breaking the man in half.
“That hardly matters now,” Griva said. “They are long gone.”
“Unimportant anyway,” Sev muttered. “Milna buried her true identity. Burned her previous life. You wouldn’t have found much about her specifically.” He sighed. “Alright, fine. Now that you know about all that and we’ve got it in the open, what do you want? Surely, this is where you make a demand.”
“Indeed.” Griva nodded. “I want to have all intel operations go through me. That’s the way the charter is written and what we agreed upon. You’ve subverted our authority in the process.”
Sev chuckled. “I do appreciate your cheek. You come in here under accusation of insurrection and turn this around to somehow be my fault because of a rogue section of intelligence. What else would you like? A seat at the clergy table? Some sort of lifelong pension? Do tell me.”
“I merely wish to serve my people.”
“You’re a filthy liar,” Sev said, “but I’ll accept that for the time behind.”
“Were you angry enough about this to perform the little attack?” Aeden asked. “Put some fear into the Lord Marshal to make
your demands later? Maybe even come up with some surprise evidence to save yourself from trouble… become a hero. Is that what this is about? A better negotiating position?”
“You’re calling me a traitor,” Griva said.
“You’re absolutely right.” Aeden smiled. He clenched his fists, pounding the right into the palm of the left. “And I would be happy to beat you to death right here on the floor if you’d care to confess to your crimes. Allow me to send you on your way with punishment. No trial, no wasted time, no shooting, no bad food. Death by beating. Now.”
“Such a tempting offer,” Griva sneered, “but I think I’ll take my chances with His Lordship.”
“Slow down.” Sev turned away, head bowed in thought. “You’ve danced around the subject of your involvement in the attack.”
“We had nothing to do with that,” Griva said, “is that direct enough for you?”
“Remember who you’re talking to!” Aeden barked. “This isn’t a man you can—”
“We’re being open,” Sev interrupted. “He can speak his mind. Are you sure none of your people were involved? That attack required coordination. Codes to override various security protocols. These are things I feel only someone with an extreme understanding of our systems could pull off.”
“I’ll put it another way,” Griva replied, “we authorized nothing. If someone has done anything, they did so outside the chain of command. They didn’t report it to us. Ergo, they are traitors and will need to be rooted out.”
“Speaking of which.” Sev returned to his seat. He leaned on his desk. “I have heard rumors that high-ranking members of our various organizations belong to a resistance. The one involving the Prophet.” He tilted his head. “Have you heard anything about that? And if so, do you have suspects?”
“We’ve heard rumors. And some of them we’ve investigated.” Griva shrugged. “They didn’t hold much weight.”
“That… doesn’t ring true.” Sev considered his opponent for several long moments. I can’t tell if he’s playing stupid or if he knows something. I feel as if I’ve pressed hard. He needs to find himself in an interrogation chamber. Somewhere we can ask questions hard without this game. “This isn’t a rumor.”