“Yes,” Knight Commander Tanas replied. “When I contacted the Kephelian authorities, they informed me that persons unknown had boarded Lord Ilian’s ship and stolen it, taking all who were on board with them.”
The room was silent as the knight commander took his seat. After judging that everyone had had sufficient time to absorb the information, Admiral Roth spoke. “Thank you, Knight Commander Tanas. That is more informative than you may realize.”
He turned to the rest of the assembled. “My lords and ladies, I have asked the Empress Tenenial to request a full report on this incident from the Kephelian authorities who witnessed this and have had some time to review the facts. My conclusion is that this was too simple.”
“I do not understand,” Lord Valinski said.
“Then I shall make it clearer,” Admiral Roth told him. “A small ship of unknown design docked with Lord Ilian’s ship. This unknown ship was a vessel capable of carrying perhaps twenty people, perhaps fewer if they wished to be travel in anything resembling comfort. Now consider the size of Lord Ilian’s ship, his guard of loyal warriors, and the crew. Then consider the difficulties twenty people would have in overrunning such a ship, even if these people were all warriors of the highest skill and experts in every possible field that would aid them in such a venture.
“Then consider how long it would take for these people to devise a means by which they could run the ship in order to steer it away from Kephelia and escape before Knight Commander Tanas and his task force could return. And when you have considered all of these points, ask yourself if this could be done in the mere space of ten minutes.”
“Possibly,” Lady Admiral Kallista said. “Possibly, but highly unlikely.”
“However, if this were some type of elaborate ruse,” Lord Admiral Calendres said from his place at the table beside Knight Commander Tanas, “then why would those involved wait for so little time that they would inevitably cast these same aspersions on themselves that you cast now?”
“Because, Lord Admiral Calendres,” Roth replied with a slight smile, “if they had left it any longer, vessels under the local command of the Kephelian authorities would have reached the ship and the gambit would have been up.”
There was the slightest twitch in the lord admiral’s cheek, possibly a sign of chagrin. Possibly a sign of something else.
“But if it is a ruse,” Lady Valinski asked, “then what really happened?”
“Lord Ilian was not kidnapped,” Admiral Roth replied, his voice hard. “He orchestrated his own disappearance.”
“But what could he possibly hope to gain by such a charade?”
“That, my dear Lady Valinski, is the question.”
Empress Tenenial rose to her feet and all eyes in the room fell on her. “It is glaringly simple, my lords and ladies. He has put us in the exact position that we now find ourselves in. The ruling families of the Minstrahn people poised to attack each other with accusations, lies... And even violence.”
“Thank you, your Imperial Highness,” Roth said, a hint of caution in his voice. She was right of course but the timing was too early. He didn’t want the assembled cornered and defensive. Not yet.
Tenenial inclined her head and the subtle implications of the gesture were not lost on the audience.
“My apologies, Admiral,” she said as she took her seat. “Please, as you were.”
Admiral Roth smiled. “No apologies required, your Imperial Highness, I assure you.” He looked back at the assembled. “My lords and ladies, you have been betrayed by one of your own but not the one you thought. I can assure you now with utmost certainty that the younger Lord Kamais had nothing to do with Lord Ilian’s disappearance. And in light of my findings, I have passed on my recommendations to Empress Tenenial that until the next Ilian heir comes of age, he would make a suitable interim ruler for the Kyrias quadrant. He has both the training and the necessary aptitude for such a position.”
There was a definite stir in the room at this and during the quiet murmuring, Admiral Roth took it all in, gauging the reactions and expressions.
“I do not believe,” Lord Valinski said, his gaze directly on Roth, “that you have any business making such a recommendation, Admiral.” He glanced at the Empress to make sure he was not making any transgressions of his own and while she was frowning slightly, she wasn’t visibly angry with him. “This is a very sensitive matter,” he continued, turning back to Roth, “and having been in our Empire for such a short time, it seems to me that you would not have had sufficient time to understand the full extent of the factors that require consideration here.”
In the silence that followed, the Empress responded before Roth had to. “Your concern is understandable, Lord Valinski,” she told him. “However, Admiral Roth made this recommendation at my request.”
Which wasn’t exactly true, Laila thought to herself, but it was interesting to note that the Empress had intervened on their behalf. Most likely, she didn’t want the discussion sidetracked. However, while she hadn’t requested the admiral’s recommendation in choosing an interim leader for the Kyrias quadrant, she had been receptive to it.
Lord Valinski bowed his head. “My apologies, your Imperial Highness.” He bowed to Roth as well. “And to you as well, Admiral.”
“No apology necessary,” Roth replied as Valinski took his seat. “I have only been here a short time, and perhaps it was presumptuous of me to make such a recommendation without first gaining a better appraisal of the situation.”
“Very well,” the older Lord Kamais intervened. “Let us put that matter aside for the time being. I have concerns of my own that I would like to air. What of those who took the law into their own hands and launched that unprovoked attack against the people of my quadrant?”
Roth raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. “I would have thought that’d be perfectly clear by now. The recent attack on the station in the Limasi quadrant was the result of Lord Ilian’s agency, a further act to turn the ruling families against each other. See how quickly Lady Valinski turned on Lady Eras after the incident, for instance.”
“I am truly sorry,” Lady Valinski said, turning to Lady Eras, “but I simply passed on what I had heard. I was just so shocked by this senseless act of unfounded retaliation against the younger Lord Kamais...” She broke off and reached for Lady Eras’s hand, clasping it in her own. “Forgive me.”
Lady Eras shook her head. “No, I understand why the rumors spread that I was to blame for this act. I was certainly quick to point my finger at the younger Lord Kamais. If anyone was at fault, then it was I.”
The younger Lord Kamais said nothing, simply bowing his head in a stoic Minstrahn gesture of forgiveness.
“My lords and ladies,” Admiral Roth said firmly, raising a hand to stall any further murmuring and protests of innocence, “we are making progress but we have not finished here.” He waited until everyone was quiet before continuing. “Lord Ilian orchestrated all this, this is true. For what benefit to himself, I have suspicions, but none that I can as yet prove beyond doubt. However, he most certainly has not acted alone. He has had assistance. From, I suspect, some of us here in this very room.” There was another murmur of surprise and once again, Admiral Roth paused to gain the measure of everyone’s reactions. “And a third party from outside the Minstrahn Empire.”
“You mean to tell me that the Federation may be involved in this as well?” Lord Admiral Arathea asked in disbelief. “Then the situation is graver than we feared.”
Admiral Roth nodded. “The situation is indeed graver you feared. However, I don’t believe the third party I refer to comes from the Federation. I refer to another source entirely.”
As he said this, he tapped a communicator on the table beside him and the elevator doors opened. The gathered Minstrahn turned to face them and into the room stepped three large reptilian aliens, pivoted slightly forward at their hips, their bodies balanced by strong tails.
“I refer, my lords and ladies,
” Roth said in the stunned silence, “to the Levarc.”
Lord Admiral Arathea found his voice first. “I take it, Admiral, that these are Federated Levarc that you have brought here today.”
“Almost correct,” Roth replied, before turning to the nearest of them. “Chaelak, why don’t you take over for a moment?”
“Certainly,” the Levarc replied before lowering his head in the best imitation he could make of a bow. “My lords and ladies. I must apologize for startling you all in this manner. However, the admiral assured me that it was necessary.”
“You wanted to see how we’d react?” Arathea asked Roth, his voice somewhere between admiration and indignation.
“Of course,” Roth replied, favoring him with a smile before turning back to Chaelak. “Please continue, Chaelak.”
“Though I was born in what was the Kingdom of the Levarc,” Chaelak explained to the seated Minstrahn, “my home is now the Laonist system, which lies among the worlds of the Frontier. We are however at this point in time, closer to the Federation than we have been for some time - ironic given the fact that Corinthe was trying to annex our worlds, turning us against Corsida. However, as you can appreciate, the Levarc from the original kingdom are no strangers to the shifting tides of animosity and amiability.”
He paused. “But I forget myself. My name is Chaelak.” He gestured to the two Levarc behind him. “And this is my wife, Thaseil, and my nephew, Kalaer. Presently, we are serving aboard Laila Casdan’s ship, the Deliverance.”
“It is an honor to meet you all,” the Empress said from the head of the table, before glancing at Admiral Roth. “I suspected the admiral had a surprise in store for us today. However, I can’t say I anticipated your entrance. Now, can you tell us a little more about the admiral’s suspicions that certain kin of yours are somehow involved in Lord Ilian’s designs on our Empire?”
“Certainly, your Imperial Highness,” Chaelak replied. “Some time ago - around three hundred years ago, in fact - a group of Levarc broke away from the main kingdom. The history is a little complicated but I don’t believe it is necessary to go into it here. However, the group was never heard of again and whatever became of those Levarc has been a mystery to this day.”
“But you suspect they may have settled somewhere in this region?” Lord Admiral Arathea asked.
“Yes, we do,” Chaelak told him. “And we suspect that whatever Lord Ilian’s plan is, this group may be involved. It is an inference on our part, if you must know the truth, but it would fit what we already know of the situation.”
“So you do not believe a Minstrahn would betray their people of their own volition?” Lady Eras asked, her voice skeptical.
“That is not what we said, my lady,” Admiral Roth told her. “We simply suspect that there is a third party involved in this affair.” He then nodded to Chaelak and his family. “Thank you, Chaelak. That will be all.”
Chaelak attempted to bow once more. “My pleasure.” He then nodded to the others at the table before leaving with his wife and nephew. “Your Highness. Lords. Ladies.”
Lord Admiral Calendres turned to Roth as the elevator doors closed. “So, this is nothing more than an inference?”
“It is an inference,” Admiral Roth replied. “But it is not nothing, I assure you. Now, my lords and ladies, it is true that I brought Chaelak and his family here today to see how you would react to their appearance. However, I also wished to show you all what the Levarc look like, as being unaffected by the Levarc War, some of you may have never seen an image of them before now. Now you are familiarized with their appearance, is there anyone here who has seen a Levarc - or even thinks they may have seen one - in Minstrahn space?”
There was a general murmur of denial and a number of people shook their heads.
“No matter,” Admiral Roth continued. “I did not expect that would be the case, but it is often a mistake to rule out a possibility simply because it appears unlikely. However, we will let the matter of the Levarc drop for now. It is unlikely we can learn any more about it today. In fact, I think we can probably adjourn at this juncture. Before we do though, I just have one final question. Have any of you here today seen anything else out of the ordinary that you wish to bring to your Empress’s attention?”
Again, there was some murmuring and shaking of heads, but no one replied.
“It is difficult, what you ask,” Lord Admiral Arathea explained. “We don’t have the extensive network of patrols that you are accustomed to in your Federation. We haven’t seen the need for such measures before now as we have never experienced war or the troubles that plague our neighboring sectors.” He sighed. “I suppose we seem naive to you but this is the way our people are.”
Admiral Roth shook his head. “No, my Lord Admiral. I have nothing but admiration for the manner in which your people have preserved peace for so long and I have the highest respect for the openness and trust that forms the foundation of your society. What I am opposed to are those who would seek to exploit those virtues for their own gain. And believe me, I have every intention of bringing those individuals forth and making them accountable for their actions.”
“Well, I think we ruffled a few feathers down there,” Laila said as she and the others stepped into the bridge anteroom on the Sentinel.
“Yes,” Admiral Roth said, “and I suspect we may have ruffled a few more in forcing the Empress’s guests to remain on Minstrah.”
Laila grimaced. “Yes. They wouldn’t have been too happy when they found out about that. Do you think perhaps they should have been informed about it beforehand?”
Roth shook his head as he took his seat. “They may well have ignored the Empress’s request to come if they knew they might not be able to immediately return to their quadrants. And even if they still came to Minstrah, those among them who are working with Lord Ilian may well have tipped him off, letting him know they were under more suspicion then they may have realized.”
“You’re certain there are more dissidents among them?”
“I am,” Roth told her. “I believe I have identified two of them.”
“I bet that Lady Valinski’s one of them,” Alia said, as she planted herself into a seat.
As much as she loved her daughter, Laila couldn’t help but think how out of place she looked in this room. Especially leaning back against her chair with one leg swung over the other.
“And what do you base that on?” she asked as patiently as she could manage.
Beside her, Admiral Roth smiled in amusement.
“I don’t know,” Alia confessed. “She just seems like slime to me.”
Laila sighed. “What I’m trying to get at here, Alia, is why you feel that way about her.”
Alia shook her head. “I don’t know. I just mean she kind of rubbed me the wrong way. She seemed so phony. And what was with her groveling act with Lady Eras? She wasn’t the least bit sorry. At least I could see that if Lady Eras couldn’t.”
“Actually, Alia’s got a point,” Lyla said, stepping in for her sister before she started off on one of her tangents. Carla nodded as well.
Laila leaned back, as if in defeat, and turned to Admiral Roth. “Well? Is Lady Valinski one of the ones you pegged?”
“She was one, yes,” Roth confirmed. “And, though I wouldn’t put it in precisely the same words, I feel the same way about her as your daughter does.”
“All right then. What about the other one?”
“The other,” Roth replied, “was Lord Admiral Calendres.”
“Yeah,” Alia said. “When you said Lord Ilian’s agents only had ten minutes to put on their show, he was definitely startled. As if you’d hit it too close to the mark.”
“Really?” Lyla asked. “I didn’t see anything.”
“It wasn’t much,” Alia explained. “It was just a nervous twitch but he was definitely sweating. And not just because of the humidity down there.”
“And let’s not forget he was the one who tried to dis
credit the admiral’s inference about the Levarc involvement,” Carla pointed out.
At this, Captain Merrick - who hadn’t said much on the shuttle ride back from Minstrah - stirred. “I wonder whether that justified playing that card.” He looked at Admiral Roth with open doubt. “That was a dangerous card to play.”
“You suspect the Empress may eventually ask how I formed my inference?” Roth asked.
“The Empress,” Merrick replied, “or someone else.”
“You’re right of course,” Roth said. “But it won’t be a problem. I fully intend to disclose the details of what we found back outside the Cepheis system to the Empress and Lord Admiral Arathea.”
“Confidentially?”
“Indeed. Then if anyone asks, I’m sure that both the Empress and the Lord Admiral would agree to an official response that the discovery was made by a Minstrahn group and the information was kept confidential for the purposes of our investigation.”
“And if they don’t agree?” Laila asked, sharing some of Captain Merrick’s misgivings.
Admiral Roth smiled. “They will.”
Laila leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table. “All right, then. Let’s put that matter aside for now. What’s our next move? Do we inform the Empress and have her arrest Lady Valinski and Lord Admiral Calendres?”
“That’s one option, certainly,” Roth agreed. “Although more proof may be demanded than what we can provide. I also judge by your tone that you don’t approve of that suggestion yourself. My intention however is to locate Lord Ilian by whatever means we have available to us. Lady Valinski and Lord Admiral Calendres are two possible leads, yes, but to act on those leads now could potentially force any further leads underground. I suspect Lord Ilian has other prominent agents working for him throughout the sector and I don’t want to tip off any of them any more than we have already.”
“Hence the restrictions on everyone at that meeting,” Laila said. “However, if we keep them on Minstrah too long, those other agents you refer to will start getting jumpy.”
“I know,” Roth replied. “Believe me. But you’re right. We don’t have a lot of time and I don’t wish to discover what contingency plans Lord Ilian may have in store if his original scheme proves unworkable.”
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