Soon after the conversation ended, the Jess rose up through the clouds of Telfor at an ever-increasing speed. We were on our way to the Dallex colony, the home world of the Talisans and the hub of their slave trade. It was a three-day journey in the Jess.
Go came over the comm. "Sorry I forgot to mention it, but I made a few adjustments to your systems while I was flying with nothing else to do. Your ion thrusters have been synchronized; that should add about 3 percent to your maximum speed. I reorganized your nav screens as well. It should take fewer swipes to get to the screens of interest now. Oh, and the captain’s chair now reclines; that one was my favorite given the limited tools I had available."
Garrett scowled as he began to move through his nav screens. "I can’t believe you messed with my ship. You don’t do that without asking!"
I replied, "I’m sure he can change those back if needed."
Garrett tilted his head. "Hmm. I do like what he did with this set. I always found those extra couple of hops it took to display what you wanted annoying."
I half smiled. "And the captain’s chair?"
Garrett found the lever that had been added to the side of the chair and leaned it back. "Hmm. OK, I guess we can keep these, but any changes from now on need to go through me first."
I laughed. "I was just thinking about the Heap. I wonder what it will look like by the time we return. It might not be recognizable."
As the flight continued, we got into a discussion about Joni Salton.
Garrett said, "I had hoped I could be back there searching for her by now. I feel like every day we are stuck out here, our chances of finding her drop."
I nodded. "Until we can send you on a legitimate trade mission there, I don’t think it will be safe to go. If we can get the Governor unseated from power again, we can do whatever we want out here. If we can get the Feldons straightened out and the Talisans in line, removing the Governor should not take long."
Garrett replied, "I hope you are right. The fact that she is still missing just eats at me every day."
I smiled. "It’s called love. Nothing can distract the mind like trouble with a relationship."
Garrett half smiled. "Well, it’s not a relationship. At least not from her side, anyway. I’ll admit I have feelings for her."
I placed my hand on Garrett’s shoulder. "We will find her, Garrett Rourke. We will find her and bring her back to her family. If she is alive, they will no longer hunt for you."
Garrett nodded. "I guess I’m out of luck either way, huh. If we don’t find her, I am a hunted man. If we find her and bring her back, they won’t let me near her. Regardless, it’s something I have to do."
As we came into the Dallex system, a dozen gunships came out to meet us. After a short discussion about needing to talk to the emperor, we were escorted to the capital city of Remar. Remar had a single steel structure that rose up almost three thousand meters. The buildings that surrounded it were low and squatty, with flat roofs. Everything was painted the same rust-brown color. It would hardly be described as a place of wonder or beauty.
Garrett set down on top of a building beside the tall structure. After I stepped out through the hatch, Garrett lifted off into orbit. It was a place where he could easily defend himself if needed. I was taking a risk by talking to the Talisan Emperor in person, but it was the best I could do on short notice. The Feldons, although now well armed, were not trained for combat and had no fleet of ships, which an assault would require.
I was escorted across a long, elevated walkway into the tall structure. I was told the tower was the Emperor’s private residence and that it was a high honor for an alien to be invited up. The elevator ride took fourteen seconds to reach the top floor. An inertial dampening field and reverse gravity saw to it that the ride was comfortable. Other than the visual of the landscape below moving away, it was difficult to tell that the elevator was moving at all.
When the doors opened, I was escorted into a great room with thirty-meter-high ceilings. Massive glass windows lined the exterior walls, allowing a 360-degree view of the city and surrounding lands. Again, the rust-brown color of the buildings left a less-than-desirable visual impression.
I was escorted to a wide table that had a large, opulent chair on one side and a single hard bench on the other. I guessed correctly at which seating arrangement was for me. As I made myself comfortable beside the bench, the Talisan Emperor entered the room.
The Emperor wore a plush blue velvet robe, with a white fur-lined collar. A crown of sorts made from the golden feathers of some type of bird made a ring around his forehead. The rotund Talisan Emperor and his two colorful Magonia escorts were a ridiculous sight. I had to work hard to keep myself from laughing.
When the Emperor had been seated, I sat as well.
The Talisan Emperor cleared his throat and began, "I am Emperor Goonrag. I am told that your actions have cost us the production on Telfor. And you have the audacity to come here to my world? That does not seem like a wise action. It is, however, intriguing enough for me to want to listen to what you have to say."
I said, "My name is Knog Beutcher. I am the spokesman for the Free Feldons. Emperor, the slave trade in the Omega sector is over. I am here to offer you a peaceful route back to being a nation of equal status among the other worlds here. The Feldons that just took Telfor, they are prepared to bring their army here. I, on the other hand, have asked for them to instead consider other options."
The Emperor scowled and then laughed. "Why would I consider any offer from that rabble? A few million freed slaves are of no threat to Dallex, or to my other colonies!"
I leaned forward. "That rabble has more than three thousand blasters, and they are more than willing to make use of them."
The Emperor again laughed. "Mr. Beutcher. My army has four million trained soldiers. All of those soldiers now have blasters. Your tiny Feldon slave army is hardly a match for the power of the Talisans. Here is a peaceful solution that I would suggest that you take back to them. I am a businessman. I have production from Telfor that I have promised to clients. If your Free Feldons lay down their paltry arms, and if they go back to work in the mines, I will refrain from slaughtering them like the galligs they are!"
I pursed my lips. "I see. You do realize that an army of that size requires a fleet to move it around? Most of your gunships were destroyed at Telfor."
The Emperor again laughed. "I don’t know why I wasted time with you, Mr. Beutcher. That was hardly the Talisan fleet. The fleet is busy adding a new colony to my empire. When they return in three days, I will send them on to Telfor, and we will see just how rebellious the Feldons are. Oh, by the way, the Feldon home world of Krakus—that would be where my fleet is currently entertaining itself. The Feldons may as well stay and work, for they have nowhere else to go!"
I stood. "I guess we are done here, then."
The Emperor stopped his laugh and smiled. "Yes, yes. We are done. I will say, though, that this is not going to be a complete waste of time, Mr. Beutcher. This meeting, before it is fully over, will provide value."
I replied, "How’s that?"
The Emperor clapped his hands together. "My people like to be entertained, Mr. Beutcher. They love their Emperor, because he gives them things to talk about, things that build pride in being a Talisan."
The two Magonia escorts came over to the Emperor’s chair. "Please bring the video-to-the-people online. I have a message for them that I believe they will not want to miss."
The Emperor looked at me. "Mr. Beutcher, you wouldn’t mind going on a live video broadcast to the Talisan people, would you? Just tell them what is in store for them. They would want to hear it from you personally."
I sat back on the bench as the Magonias moved a camera around to face the Emperor. "We will be live in three, two, one—"
The Emperor smiled. "Talisan people. Greetings… Today I have a guest that has come straight to us from the troubled mining colony of Telfor. For those of you who were unawa
re, the miners on Telfor have rioted, bringing production to a halt. Mr. Beutcher, who has been chosen as the spokesman for the miners, has a few words that he would like to express to you. Following his speech, we will be giving him a traditional Talisan send-off. So, please pay close attention to what he has to say. I promise that it will bring tears to your eyes!"
The Emperor turned the camera off. "Oh, this is exciting! We are at 78 percent feedback, and we haven’t even had you on the camera yet! When it's spun your way, you will see a bar for both positive and negative feedback; we are a people that are obsessed with interactivity. Anyway, 78 percent is a wonderful start to this presentation. From that base, and from that which is about to come, we may be able to break the all-time high of 91 percent positive feedback! That was achieved by Emperor Longon; he was quite popular!"
I wasn’t sure what it was the Emperor was up to. Being on video in front of his whole empire was not something I was prepared for.
As the camera swung my way, I cleared my throat. "Hello. My name is Knog Beutcher."
The negative bar rose to 58 percent. "I am here today to make a peaceful offer to the Talisan people. The slave mines on Telfor have been liberated. The Free Feldons are forming an army. I am here to make an offer of peace. A peace where the Talisan people and the Feldons can coexist. The alternative will be war."
With the mention of war, the positive feedback bar shot up to 82 percent. I could only take that as a sign that the Talisan public was bloodthirsty. I glanced up to see five Talisan guards enter the room with blasters. It didn’t take much thought to get an idea of why the Emperor seemed so excited. A televised Grunta execution was in the offing, and he would be the Emperor that brought it to the people.
I continued. "Look, I can already see where this is going, so, just remember, you were offered peace and peace was rejected. If war is what the Talisan people want, then war is what we are going to give you."
The positive bar shot to 90 percent. The Emperor looked as though he was going to burst from an overabundance of glee.
The camera was spun back around to the giddy Emperor. "My people, today we will break the all-time feedback number set by Emperor Longon, seven years ago. This will be a historic event! Mr. Beutcher, can you stand and come around to this side of the table?"
I complied. As I did so, the armed Talisan guards moved closer, grinning, and careful to stay out of camera view.
The Emperor pointed for the Magonias. "Please get the streamers for Mr. Beutcher. Go, go, go!"
The two Magonias scurried away.
The Emperor pressed a button on the arm of his chair. The massive window on the south side of the room began to slowly open, and for a moment a stiff breeze blew into the room.
The Emperor smiled. "I do love the smell of fresh air before a send-off!"
The Magonias returned, each holding out a canister.
The Emperor continued. "If you would, please, Mr. Beutcher. Take a canister in each hand, hold your arms out to your sides, and then depress the button on the top of each canister with your thumbs."
Again I complied. Following a short burst, a long row of colorful streamers was laid out on the floor going in a direction away from the opened glass wall. I looked back at the Emperor with an expression of disdain.
The Emperor gestured toward the open wall. "Please, Mr. Beutcher. The people are waiting. You can choose to go with dignity as a complete person, or the guards standing behind you will send you on your way in pieces. I prefer the first; it’s much less messy!"
I glanced back at the guards, who had their blasters at the ready.
I turned my head back to face the Emperor. "Can I ask a favor of you?"
The Emperor was intrigued. "Go on."
I sighed. "I despise Magonias. Can I take one of them out the window with me?"
The positive percentage shot up to 91 percent.
The Emperor grinned as he pointed to the two Magonias. "Please, take them both!"
I looked at the two stunned Magonia assistants and gestured for one to come my way. The positive bar on the monitor rose to 92 percent. The Emperor was experiencing ecstasy.
When the first Magonia moved within reach, I grabbed him and pulled him close while looking at the camera. "I hope you like to fly!"
The positive percentage rose to 93 percent as the Talisan audience watched. The Emperor looked like he was going to pass out in anticipation of the final number he would receive from the jump.
When the second Magonia had stumbled close enough for me to grab, I made my move. I slammed the two Magonias together and shoved them back toward the guards. At the same instant, I dove and rolled over next to the Emperor. I was too close for the guards to shoot. I grabbed the startled Emperor by the neck and pulled his rotund body in front of me. The positive bar on the camera monitor rose to 94 percent.
I spoke. "Looks like your people are enjoying the show. I say we just go ahead and give them what they want. How about you?"
The Emperor nodded pensively as he gasped for air.
I pointed at the guards with my free hand. "First, have them lay down their weapons."
The Emperor bobbed his head in a sign for them to comply.
I continued. "Now, have them move over and stand by that opening."
Again the Emperor bobbed his head, and the guards, although reluctant in their movements and expressions, complied.
I gestured to the Magonias. "Bring me one of those blasters."
The shorter of the Magonia assistants reacted, retrieving a blaster and carefully handing it to me.
I took aim at the first Talisan guard. "Jump."
The guard shook his head. I squeezed the trigger, and a loud pop resonated off the other glass walls as the guard exploded outward into the breeze. The positive bar climbed to 95%.
I gave the order to the second guard. He turned and looked out the window, jumping backward without any other prompt. An outside camera followed his descent, and a zoomed-in image displayed the gruesome impact. The next two guards followed, each with a gruesome final display of their own.
I glanced at the camera monitor and was disappointed that the highest rating I had achieved remained at 95 percent. I imagined that the entire Talisan population was now tuned in.
I gestured to the Magonia that had not retrieved the blaster. "You, go push him out the window."
The Magonia sheepishly walked over to the guard, placed his hand on the guard’s chest, and pushed.
As the guard fell backward, he reached out and grabbed the Magonia by his colorful, ruffly shirt. The Magonia screamed in terror as the two fell out of the open wall. The positive bar again rose, this time hitting 96 percent.
I released the Emperor from my grasp. "You were right, Emperor; this event would make history. Ninety-six percent. You are going to be talked about for a long time!"
The Emperor offered a pensive grin. "Mr. Beutcher, perhaps we can talk of a peaceful resolution."
I looked at the camera monitor and back at the Emperor. "Ooh. Sorry. 87 percent negative on that thought, Emperor. I hope you aren’t going to ruin the show."
I gestured for the Emperor to move to the opening. His only move came when prodded forward by the tip of my blaster rifle.
I turned back to the remaining Magonia. "Could you bring the Emperor the streamers? I’m thinking he is going to need them to reverse that negative trend on the interactive feedback."
The Magonia carried the two streamer canisters to the Emperor, placing one in each of his hands. The positive feedback percentage returned to 93 percent.
I stood five meters from the Emperor with my blaster raised. "Now, the way I see it, you can choose to go with dignity as a complete person, or I will send you on your way in pieces. I know you prefer the first; it’s much less messy. But I think your people would rather see the second."
The Emperor frowned as he turned his head to look over his shoulder.
I said, "Remember. You could be the one they talk about for ye
ars to come!"
The Emperor turned to face the opening, holding the streamers in his hands with his arms out to his sides. After several seconds of hesitation, he jumped. The streamers trailed out behind him in a stunning display of color as the Emperor of the Talisans fell three thousand meters to his death. The remaining Magonia pointed to the monitor. The positive bar displayed at 97 percent.
I shook my head. "Some people just can't be satisfied."
I opened a comm to Garrett on my arm pad. "Garrett, I need you to get down here as quickly as you can. On the south side of this building, right at the top, you will see an open wall. Swing in as close as you can with the hatch open. I will be diving in there. And come quick!"
Garrett replied, "Sounds like the negotiations didn’t go so well."
I nodded. "I told them what we wanted, and the Emperor just streamed out of here."
I looked over at the Magonia, who was looking at the monitor. "Nothing?"
The Magonia shook his head.
I shrugged. "I have a dry sense of humor. Some people just don’t get it."
I moved closer to the window and took aim back at the elevator as the doors opened. Two blaster bolts from my rifle saw to it that the new squad of guards would not be continuing the show.
A swoosh of air and a low hum told me that Garrett and the Jess were waiting. I turned back, ran, and dove out and into the open hatch, rolling to a stop once inside.
I glanced back out into the grand room. The Magonia was grinning, pointing at the monitor, and then clapping. As the Magonia turned the camera monitor my way, I winked and pointed at him with my finger. The positive feedback had hit 99 percent. The hatch closed as the Jess sped upward through the Dallex atmosphere.
Garrett spoke. "So? What happened?"
I smiled. "Were the sensors recording all the Talisan broadcasts?"
Garrett swiped at several screens. "Yes."
I replied, "I’ll let you watch the video, then. There is no way I could tell it to you and do it justice."
Chapter 19
OMEGA Guardian Page 19