Imperium: Revelation: Book Two in the Imperium Trilogy

by Paul M Calvert

  Freyja loped over to the exit, signalling ahead for her ceremonial robe to be made ready. She didn’t like wearing it, but her advisors had told her these Humans put great store on the display of clothing, so she would take their advice and wear the robe made especially for this meeting. Freya exited the doorway and picked up four courtiers who followed her at a respectful distance. From their scent, currently a mix of excitement, anticipation, and nervousness, she realised how easy it would be for a mistake to happen, despite her best-laid plans, so she sent another message to the four sisters of her Gathering who were with her on the Flagship, asking them to go over the arrangements again on her behalf, checking for unintended insults or displays that might offend.

  Before reaching the outer chambers of the Great Hall, she was met by the Progression’s First, Mihos, responsible for her safety and the day to day operation of the Progression Fleet. Mihos was old, an advisor to the previous Empress and had fought in the First Contact war against the Humans. Regular anti-senescence treatments had kept both his mind and body at their peak. Seven foot long and heavily muscled, Mihos was a formidable warrior and like his Empress had an occasional fascination for the Human Empire that bordered on fondness. Unlike the Empress, however, his was born not from a feeling of kinship but from the mutual respect two warriors have for each other, who’ve fought to an inconclusive standstill and warily wonder if they truly desire a rematch to settle who would be the winner.

  Freya stopped and stood up, watching carefully as she extended her left paw for him to smell in greeting. Mihos moved forward with eyes lowered and gently sniffed the extended paw, then sat back onto his haunches and waited for his Empress to acknowledge him.

  “Speak, Mihos,” she instructed him, gently, her ears pointing forward to acknowledge she was listening and he had her full attention.

  He looked up. “Everything is ready for the Humans, Empress. Their delegation will be met by myself as they disembark from their vessel and escorted into the Hall with full honours and respect, where you will acknowledge them. As you requested, a contemplation room has been made available for you and their Empress to adjourn to in private, while both I and Sekhmet entertain the Duke Gallagher.

  Freya noted from his scent that Mihos was content with what he had prepared but picked up an underlay of anticipation, well hidden but there nonetheless. She caught his eyes with her own and slowly closed then opened them in acknowledgement and acceptance, then swivelled her ears away from him to signal the meeting was over. He dropped his head in acknowledgement and waited for her to pass before taking position behind her as the main doors to the Hall were opened to let them all pass through.

  Inside, the vast hall was lined with armoured warriors, sitting on their haunches, each carrying their ceremonial close-combat swords with a shield fixed on their back. There was another doorway, mirroring this one, two hundred yards away, where the Humans would enter. In the middle of the Hall, a raised dais, some twenty foot in diameter, marked the place where Freyja would greet Christine. Sensory recordings of this event would later be transmitted all around the Empire, providing a very rare opportunity for the bulk of her citizens to experience personally what Humanity was like in the flesh. Currently closed, the large doors would be opened with a fanfare of music from both races once the Human Empress arrived with her escorts.

  Two of Freyja’s personal attendants approached, carrying the ceremonial robe. They waited, heads bowed and eyes averted, waiting for her signal to approach and allow them to fit it to her body. Signal given, they approached and quickly fitted it to her before backing away and leaving the Hall, along with the remaining workers and assistants who had been preparing the dais, leaving only Freyja’s small retinue and the two thousand warriors, resplendent in their golden, sand coloured armour who lined the walls and approach to where she would sit.

  She looked around, her acute eyesight picking out the smallest of details even from the opposite side of the hall. Satisfied everything was in order she padded softly to the dais, noting the scents of Mau Prime and the correct light levels had been perfectly replicated. As she made the long walk, her warriors stood and saluted as she passed by them, to an observer the action looking like a flowing wave of armour moving down the Hall, only stopping when Freyja reached the dais.

  In one sinuous and graceful movement, Freyja leapt up to the top of the dais, her body following an arc, with her tail providing balance on landing. Regrettably, the robe made for an unnecessary and unwelcome weight and she would be glad when it could be discarded. She made herself comfortable amongst the soft cushions and warm fabrics and waited for her guest to arrive, patient and unmoving as only a cat on a hunt could be.

  Christine and Patrick stood next to each other on the command deck of their ship, watching as the viewscreen counted down the final seconds before they would make the Jump to Felidae space. All around them, the Jump Point had been cleared of ships, and to port hung the massive bulk of the Jump Station and docking rings.

  Karen stood behind them, standing next to Lt Collinson who had introduced himself. Vimes was providing a running commentary to her about what would be happening next and she too found herself being caught up in the palpable excitement nearly everyone around her was feeling. Outside, she could see through the screen a faint glow begin to expand and grow. Looking at the numbers, as the countdown neared zero she wondered what a Jump would feel like as she had been unconscious for her first one.

  The countdown reached zero and the glow reached a point where it began to blur the scene outside, then suddenly…DISCONTINUITY…everything was different. Involuntarily, Karen almost jumped as the scene outside changed, replacing empty space and the massive Jump Station with a star field full of warships. Neither Christine or Patrick flinched, both knowing what to expect.

  “So that’s what it’s like travelling faster than light,” she thought to herself, feeling a little disappointed how ordinary it had been. Apart from the glow, there hadn’t been any spectacular light show or noise to indicate something had happened. “I’ve obviously watched too much science fiction over the years. No-one even said engage or make it so.”

  She quickly tried to estimate the number of ships that she could see in the viewscreen, before remembering she could get an accurate number from the ship’s sensors instead of trying to do it herself. The number came through immediately. Five hundred warships, with a similar number of smaller vessels. However, what really caught her attention was the brightly lit warship hanging motionless in space to their right. It was impossible for her to judge distances without other, more familiar, points of reference, but simply by the way it dwarfed those close to it, she realised how large it must be.

  “Will you look at the size of that thing,” she heard Patrick say ahead of her as he turned to Christine, “It’s got to be ten times the size of Dauntless. How do they move it?”

  “Like us, their technology obviously hasn’t stood still since we were last here but I somehow doubt they are going to make it easy for us to find out, Patrick,” Christine replied, not taking her eyes off the spectacle, “That must be Freyja’s Progression ship, the one she and her predecessors use to tour the Empire. When Alexander and I were last here for her Coronation, we Jumped directly to Mau Prime so never got to see any of this.”

  “Christine?” Karen asked, “Why so many warships when we have just this one ship? It seems somewhat aggressive and unfriendly, doesn’t it?”

  Christine turned around and smiled at her.

  “No, on the contrary, Karen, they are paying me…us, the highest of compliments. This is a warrior race, even more so than we are. They value strength and a lot of their culture is based on display. By greeting us with such an overwhelming display of force, they are showing their respect for our capabilities and in their mind, honouring us by showing they accept we are a danger to them.”

  Christine turned back to the viewscreen but continued talking.

  “Had Freyja met us with only a few s
hips she would have been displaying contempt for our prowess and it would not have been a good sign for how our meeting might go. No, I feel much happier and safer at seeing all of these warships surrounding us.”

  Christine motioned Karen to stand next to both her and Gallagher, making Collinson wonder just who this young woman was and, if she was so close to the Empress, why hadn’t he known about or heard anything of her before.

  “When I introduce you to Empress Freya, you can expect there to be hundreds if not thousands of warriors in the Hall. Once the formalities are over then she and I will be able to talk to each other in private, at which point things will be far more intimate and seem friendlier.” Christine looked at Karen before continuing.

  “However, don’t lose sight of the fact she doesn’t think like us. Felidae have no concept of mercy whatsoever and their decision making can seem really strange at times. They are honourable insofar as they have kept to the Peace Accords in full, never once deviating from them since they were agreed, so I am certain we will be safe here.” Christine laughed, her face lighting up. “I had the distinct feeling from all the years we have been communicating together, that she thinks of me as a kind of pet, even though they don’t keep them, at least as far as I’ve been able to determine.”

  The ship’s Captain came over and interrupted them.

  “Excuse me, Ma’am, but we have been signalled by the Progression ship and requested to dock. Have I your permission to proceed?”

  “Please do, Captain Walters. Vimes will liaise with you as required. Thank you.” He nodded in acknowledgement and moved off, sending instructions to his officers.

  Slowly, the view outside changed as their ship began to turn and head towards the Felidae Progression ship, passing several battleship-sized escorting craft.

  Christine turned to Patrick, pointing out the escorting ships to him. “See, Patrick, I knew those mystery ships that appeared on the border of my Sector had to be from the Felidae. I was right, they were marking their territory for us to see, demonstrating how powerful they are and putting us on notice of the new ships.”

  He nodded, then sent her a private message. “I wonder how these would fare against our new designs? I can see no signs of inertialess flight or improved weaponry at this distance, but then, they are probably in no hurry to show us even if they have it.” He paused for a moment, before continuing out loud, “I never thought I’d be here with you visiting their Empress, Christine.”

  Christine didn’t say anything in response, but reached over and put her arm around his waist, pulling him in close, not caring if people could see how fond she was of her old war-horse of a friend. Standing there together, she thought back to her youth and how different her life was now, compared to before she first met Alexander. Along with Vimes, Patrick had played a big part in helping her transition and they had fought side by side on many occasions in those early, troubled times. He had always reminded her of Bill, her father, and over the years had stepped into the role of a surrogate. She gave him one last squeeze, then stepped away.

  “Come on Patrick, let’s not keep our Felidae friends waiting,” and with that, walked towards the exit to pick up her small retinue of guards who would be accompanying her to the Felidae, closely followed by Gallagher and Karen.

  The shuttle containing Christine and her small party moved alongside the enormous Felidae Progression ship, now totally dwarfed by the massive craft as they entered a clear portion of the hull not covered by weapons. The hull reformed behind them as the shuttle progressed into the interior, then entered into a hanger just double the size of her shuttle. The reason for the small hanger soon became clear as it began to quickly pressurise, onboard sensors finally confirming a breathable atmosphere. One whole side of the hanger turned transparent, revealing row after row of armoured Felidae warriors, each armed with shield and spear. Around her, Karen picked up on the subtle shift in posture that came from the small Marine Bodyguard who would be accompanying them. Their reaction on seeing the massed ranks of Felidae warriors was understandable.

  She quickly tuned into their command channel and picked up a few muttered comments between the Marines. Despite herself, she couldn’t stop from joining in.

  “Don’t worry lads, you can take ‘em, no worries,” she sent, earning a swift rebuke from Christine, but a look of quiet amusement from the Duke, who turned around and winked at her, smiling broadly, admiring her humour and irreverence.

  The shuttle notified them it had docked, was secure and now awaiting instructions.

  “Form honour guard. Your Majesty, our Grace, please take your positions,” instructed the Marine Captain, Niall Evans, who had been personally selected by General Parmenian for the mission. “Ms Mcleod, Lieutenant.”

  On a signal from Christine, the shuttle’s side opened, merging silently into the hull while a ramp extended down to the hanger floor. On the short trip over, the shuttles AI had normalised the air pressure with that used by the Felidae and adjusted the ambient smell and temperature to match. Before boarding, everyone had been provided with night-vision lenses which covered their eyes with a transparent film which would magnify the light passing through on a command from their implants, for the Felidae had better night visions than humans and favoured lighting that mimicked dusk on their homeworld.

  The Imperial Fanfare sounded, strangely incongruous in this alien setting of strange scents and muted sandy colours. Together, ranks of Felidae warriors stood up onto their hind legs, their spears used as a balance in front of them. Christine moved forward to stand at the head of the ramp, looking down and across the rows of Felidae, her eyes coming to rest on a large male who began moving forward once the fanfare stopped, approaching the foot of the ramp. He wore no armour or clothing, apart from a blood red collar, decorated with small insignia.

  On a signal from Vimes, all the humans moved forward together, their steps marking out a rhythmic cadence on the ramp. On reaching the bottom they stopped and waited for the Felidae representative to move forward and greet them. Karen asked Vimes to provide her with information on him.

  “His name is Mihos, First of the Progression Fleet,” he answered, “the Empire equivalent would be a cross between Admiral and Prime Minister. He’s responsible for the Empress’s safety while she’s on her annual Progression around the Empire, then advises her on their return to Mau Prime. He’s believed to be at least three hundred years old, if not older, as we have records of him fighting during the Felidae War. Not one to underestimate. His meeting us is another good sign. Now, pay attention to the prompts I give you and keep quiet.”

  In a surprisingly graceful move for one so bulky, Mihos bowed, then extended his left hand towards Christine. Taking care not to touch it, she sniffed his hand gently then straightened.

  “You may approach, First Mihos,” Christine spoke in a commanding voice, slowly closing and opening her eyes. “The Empress’s welcome honours me, thank you. I present to you Duke Gallagher of Sector One, Ms Mcleod, who is a personal friend, and the Captain of my Bodyguard, Nial Evans.”

  Mihos returned the greeting, his ears swivelled towards her, his eyes dropping down in a mark of respect. “Your Majesty’s notice is most gratifying.” He looked up, his eye’s lingering on Gallagher and the Marine for a fraction too long, giving Karen the distinct feeling he was sizing them both up, like strange tom cats meeting for the first time. Mihos lifted his eyes and looked directly at the Duke, his gaze unmistakably a challenge. Patrick simply smiled, showing his teeth, then nodded.

  “Your Grace, I have long wished to meet with you. Your fame has extended even to the Felidae Empire,” said First Mihos returning the smile, revealing two large canines of his own. His golden eye’s, flecked with black, turned to Karen and looked down again slowly, his nose wrinkling for a moment. “Welcome Ms Mcleod, your scent is…different…yet not unfamiliar,” he said, turning to look in Christine’s direction for a moment. He nodded to the Marine Captain before addressing the group at large.r />
  “If it would please you, walk with me. The Empress is looking forward to seeing you.”

  First Mihos led the way, walking them through rows of warriors who melted aside as if performing a dance, their armoured feet making hardly any sound despite their armour’s bulk and weight. Karen noticed that none of them were making eye contact with them and asked Vimes why this was.

  “In Felidae culture, to stare at a superior or someone not of your Gathering… that’s their extended family…is either an insult or seen as a challenge,” came the reply.

  “Can’t I look at them? Am I causing a diplomatic incident then?” she asked, suddenly a little nervous about the massed ranks around her.

  Vimes chuckled in her head. “Don’t worry, Karen. By naming you as a personal friend, Christine cleverly marked you as being under her protection and as such, you rank higher than anyone in the room apart from First Mihos or Gallagher. None of these warriors would see you looking at them as a challenge, you're being their superior. As for Mihos, he’s been around long enough to understand Humanity and our ways, as does Empress Freyja. Both will make substantial allowances should we not follow protocol to the letter. Once you are away from the public gaze, I expect any meeting with Freyja to be…let’s say interesting.”