“Is that all?” said Cole. “If anyone would have tried to murder my kids, I’d have the bastard put up against a wall and shot.”
“It’s not that simple. Krotz belongs to one of five families who can trace their ancestry all the way back to the Lord Kurgan. Tonight, he played his hand far too early and missed his chance to pave the way for his family’s ascension to the throne. Krotz will now be loyal to my family until his death. However, his son will want revenge when he becomes the family patriarch. I will have to counsel my brother to kill him before he becomes too powerful.”
“How old is the general’s son?”
“Fifteen, I think.”
Cole frowned. “Ma’am, you can’t just go around murdering children. It’s not right.”
“I make no apologies; this is how things are done at court, Captain.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“For a warrior, Alan Cole, you have a weak side to you.”
“I’d prefer to call it ethical.”
Katin looked into Cole’s brown eyes. “Can a soldier be moral as well as a killer?”
“I’ve never killed anyone who didn’t deserve it, even after witnessing the barbarous atrocities committed by your troops against civilians and unarmed soldiers in the name of your religion.”
“I’m beginning to think there’s more to you than meets the eye.” She once again held out her hand. “Come, Alan, let us take our seats and talk some more.”
Cole placed his hand on Katin’s. His mind was awhirl. He couldn’t figure out if she was playing him for a fool, or she was a Machiavellian princess of the highest order.
Chapter 5
As soon as the Kurgan anthem stopped, the hall toasted the emperor and waited for Kobak to take his seat at the octagonal head table. Kobak nodded, and a bodyguard pulled out his chair for him. The siblings sat in the middle with Cole next to Katin and Sheridan seated beside Kobak. The remainder of the guests at the table were senior Kurgan flag officers. Keyl sat at a nearby table with some officers from Kaar’s flagship.
The first course was a dish that looked like oysters in red wine but smelled like two-week-old fish to Sheridan. He thought about saying his stomach wasn’t feeling well when Kobak picked up his bowl and shot it back in one shot. Sheridan’s skinned crawled at the thought, but he forced himself to down the appetizer. Surprisingly, it wasn’t bad and tasted like fresh oysters in champagne. He decided to be less judgmental about his food as it appeared.
“Major Sheridan, let me introduce myself,” said a chubby Kurgan general sitting on Sheridan’s right. “I am Major-General Kordus. I was stationed on Illum Prime just before your forces took it back from us. I am led to believe that you fought there. Is this right?”
“Yes, I did,” replied Sheridan. “You are remarkably well informed, General.”
“It pays to do your homework, does it not?”
“Yes, but you’ll have to excuse me as I lacked the opportunity to do any research on you before flying over here today.”
“Did you see the Chosen warriors in the hangar bay?”
“Yes, are they yours?”
Kordus smiled. “Most certainly. I command a crack division of them.”
“I take it you like commanding Chosen citizens over pure Kurgan ones?”
“Major, like my father before me, I take the firstborn Chosen male children from their parents once they turn seven years old. They are taken to a training academy which focusses on the martial arts and sciences. Physical fitness, fieldcraft, survival training, and loyalty to the Kurgan Empire and its way of life are stressed throughout the boys’ ascension to manhood. Those that survive are enrolled for twenty years as a soldier in my division. Naturally, all of this is done at my family’s expense.”
“General, it sounds like you took a page out of ancient Sparta’s training regimen,” said Sheridan.
“Or they from us?” replied Kordus, chuckling.
“General Kordus’ family, like my own, is from one of the original five descendants of the Lord Kurgan,” explained Kobak.
“I am honored, sir,” said Sheridan, slightly bowing his head.
“When this war began I thought it was going to be easy,” said Kordus. “I’m still amazed that non-believers like yourself could fight us to a standstill.”
“If the rebels hadn’t stabbed us in the back when they did, we’d be the ones dictating the terms of the peace accord, not you people,” said an older general in a bitter tone. “It makes me sick to my stomach to think there are people within the empire who think of you heathens as equals. It’s nothing short of blasphemy if you ask me.”
Sheridan smiled and took a moment to compose his thoughts. “General, the religious schism tearing your empire apart did not come out of nowhere. It was apparent to many of your own leaders that a civil war was coming. It is the sole reason you launched your initial pre-emptive strike against us. Your war aims were first and foremost to defeat us as quick as you could, which would have allowed you to turn the bulk of your armed forces against your own people. Things, however, did not turn out the way your high command had envisioned. Now you find yourselves fighting a protracted civil war with a greatly weakened fighting force that threatens to rip your once stable empire asunder.”
“Major Sheridan, surely it was your forces that struck us first,” said Kobak, leaning forward in his chair. “Why else would we have gone to war?”
Sheridan bit his lip as he recalled the old saying, the first casualty of war is truth. “Your highness, perhaps what you have been told about the war lacks some degree of accuracy.”
“In short, my dear brother, Major Sheridan is saying that you have been lied to by our father’s sycophantic military advisors,” said Katin.
“Why would they lie?” asked Kobak.
“Because it makes our cause look righteous and not the pathetic failure it has become.”
“Watch your tongue, woman,” hissed the general. “You’re getting awfully close to matters that don’t concern you.”
Kobak shot from his chair, as did everyone at the table, followed by all the guests in the hall. Kobak glared at the old officer. “General Kull, you will apologize for speaking disrespectfully to my sister or I will have you banished from my table and the high command.”
The general lowered his head. “I apologize, Princess Katin. I am an old fool who loves the empire. Please forgive me.”
“Apology accepted,” said Katin.
Kobak sat down and resumed dinner.
Cole leaned over slightly and whispered to Katin, “I missed most of that. I take it that old officer just screwed up?”
“He let his temper get the better of him,” said Katin. “Now my brother knows General Kull cannot be trusted to tell him the truth. Tonight is proving to be quite educational for the future leader of the Kurgan Empire.”
“Yeah, and bit dangerous too.”
“Come now, Alan, admit it, you’re enjoying this as much as I am.”
“I’ve had some exciting mess dinners in the past that involved far too much booze, some fistfights, and a night in the holding cells guarded by the MPs, but I have to agree this one is shaping up to be one that I’m never going to forget.”
Katin patted Cole on the hand. “The night’s far from over, Captain.”
Cole didn’t like the sound of that at all. He wasn’t looking forward to see what else could go wrong.
The last dish of the evening was a dessert made from fruit. Sheridan found it quite tasty. Every time a server tried to offer him Kurgan wine, he placed his hand over the glass and shook his head. As a recovering alcoholic, Sheridan abstained from alcohol, especially anything Kurgan, as they tended to make beverages far more potent than anything available back home.
“Major, don’t you like Kurgan wine?” Kobak asked Sheridan.
“I’ve tried some in the past, and it was very delicious. Unfortunately, my doctor says that I have to avoid alcohol altogether.”
; “I’d have the man arrested and thrown into the deepest, darkest dungeon in the empire if he gave advice like that to me,” said Katin, electing a round of laughter from the other Kurgans at the table.
“It doesn’t quite work that way on our side of the border,” said Sheridan.
“Speaking of that, I’m not supposed to meet with Admiral Kaar’s staff until tomorrow afternoon,” said Kobak. “As it’s getting late and I’m no good without my sleep, I’d like you and Captain Cole to remain onboard tonight as my guests. In the morning, we can have a private breakfast. It’ll be just the four of us. We can talk about our cultural similarities and differences. There is so much I need to learn before I become the emperor.”
Sheridan bowed his head. “We would be honored, your Highness.”
“That’s great news. I’m sure Colonel Keyl can relay a message to your fleet that you will be staying here with us for the night.”
“That shouldn’t be an issue.”
Kobak stood and offered his hand to his sister.
Everyone in the hall rose from their seats and watched as the siblings, surrounded by their bodyguards, walked out of the room.
“I hope you packed a toothbrush,” said Sheridan to Cole, “as we’ve been invited to spend the night.”
“Really?”
“I’m afraid so. And that’s not all. We’ve also been invited to a private breakfast. It’ll just be you, me, Kobak, and the princess.”
“As long as no one tries to kill the royal siblings before I have my first cup of coffee, I think I can live with this new arrangement.”
“The princess seems to like you,” joked Sheridan.
“That girl’s a piece of work. In my humble opinion, I think she’s a bit of an adrenaline junkie who seems to like watching people kill one another. Princess Katin is not really the kind of girl you want to take home to mother. Still, I respect her. She knows what she wants to do and how to accomplish it in such a way that her brother learns a lesson from it.”
“Come on, let’s fill Colonel Keyl in on what is happening and get back to our room before anything else happens.”
Chapter 6
Sheridan sat down and checked his palm-sized tablet. There were no new messages for him. He doubted any signal coming from a Terran vessel could penetrate the ship’s extensive electromagnetic shielding. Still, he held out hope for a word or two from Tarina.
“You’re wasting your time,” said Keyl. “I can’t receive any messages from my ship and it’s less than three thousand kilometers away. This ship is encased in an electromagnetic shield to prevent any hostile communications from getting in or out. I had to inform Admiral Kaar that we would be staying here for the evening through our liaison officer.”
“Are attempted assassinations normal at a Kurgan state dinner?” asked Cole.
“This is my first state dinner,” replied Keyl. “But I’ve never heard of anyone trying to kill an heir to the throne before. At least not in public. Things must really be tense back on the homeworld.”
“Let’s hope the transition between the emperor and his Prince Regent happens in a less dramatic manner,” said Sheridan.
“We can only pray for cooler heads to prevail,” said Keyl, standing up. “You two might as well relax. I’m going to check on the guards in the hangar bay to let them know of our change of plans before calling it a night.”
“Suit yourself, Colonel,” said Cole as Keyl exited the room. “I’ll happily stay here until that young lieutenant comes to fetch us in the morning for breakfast.”
“So, what do you think?” said Cole to Sheridan.
“About what?”
“Colonel Keyl, of course?”
“I’m not following you, Alan. Can you be a little more specific?”
“Do you honestly believe he is nothing more than Admiral Kaar’s new chief of staff?”
Sheridan frowned at his friend, took out a notepad, and scribbled: the walls have ears!
Cole nodded, flipped the piece of paper over, and wrote: he’s a Kurgan agent.
Sheridan’s eyes widened. Why would you say that?
He’s way too relaxed for a Kurgan. He’s up to something, Cole wrote back.
Such as?
Cole shrugged. “Who knows. Let’s just hope that it doesn’t include us.”
“My dear sister, you pushed things a little too far tonight,” said Kobak, pacing back and forth in his sister’s room. “You were lucky. If that Terran captain had been a fraction of a second slower, you could have been killed by that assassin.”
“That is why I chose him to accompany me,” said Katin. “I read his file and realized I had an asset I could exploit. Brother, your life is in danger; that is why father sent us as far away from home as possible. I’d rather lure our enemies out into the open where they can be dealt with rather than wait for them to strike.”
“I know you’re trying to do the right thing, but you can’t keep risking your life to protect me. I’d be lost without you.”
Katin placed her hands on her brother’s shoulders and looked into his eyes. “My life means nothing. You are the heir to the Kurgan Empire. If anything should happen to our father, you must be alive to take the throne. If not, one of the other families will try to seize power and bring about a blood feud between the five houses, the likes of which hasn’t been seen in centuries.”
All the lights in the room suddenly switched off and were replaced by emergency red lighting. “All hands, to battle stations. This is not a drill; all hands, to battle stations,” said a voice over the intercom.
“What’s going on?” asked Kobak, looking around the room.
“I don’t know,” replied Katin, reaching for a pistol hidden under her dress.
A side door slid open and a Kurgan carrying a pistol in his hand entered the room.
Katin pulled her brother behind her and brought up her weapon. “What do you want?”
“Your Highness, I’m sorry to report this sad news, but the emperor is dead,” said Keyl, bowing slightly.
“No, not grandfather,” moaned Kobak.
“It’s worse than that. I’ve just been informed that a palace coup is underway. Your parents are reported as missing and are presumed to be dead.”
“No!” cried out Kobak.
“You two must come with me if you want to live,” said Keyl.
Katin helped her brother to his feet. “Whatever happens next, stay behind me at all times.”
Kobak nodded.
“Where are we going, Colonel?” asked Katin.
“The shuttle bay,” replied Keyl.
“Very well, lead on, Colonel.”
In the hallway stood Keyl’s security detail. They rushed to form a cordon around the siblings.
“On the double, let’s go,” said Keyl as he took point and began to run down the corridor.
“What the hell’s going on?” said Cole. “Why have the Kurgs gone to battle stations?”
“I don’t know,” replied Sheridan. “But whatever is happening is probably not good news. I don’t think staying in our room is the best course of action. Come on, let’s try to make it to the shuttle bay and link up with Keyl.”
Both Marines strode out into the hallway, turned in the direction of the landing bay, and took off running. Most of the Kurgan crewmen ignored them as they ran to their duty stations. A Chosen sergeant stepped in their way and tried to ask for their identification only to be dropped by a right hook to the jaw by Cole for his troubles.
Pandemonium reigned in the hangar. Crews ran to get their ships’ engines warmed up, while the shuttle guards stood ready to stop unwarranted people from trying to board their vessels.
“There,” said Cole, pointing at their shuttle.
They were almost at their ship when a voice came over the speakers, “Attention, all crew members, the emperor is dead. Long live our new emperor, Emperor Kordus!”
“Kordus?” said Cole, puzzled.
Sheridan slid to a halt by th
e shuttle door and swore. The door was locked. He curled his fist and smashed it on the hull of the ship. “For the love of God, let us in.”
A new Kurgan voice came over the ship’s intercom. “All hands, be on the lookout for two Terran officers. Intelligence reports indicate they are assassins and are here to kill General Kordus, the new emperor’s son!”
“Bloody hell,” said Cole, kicking the closed door.
The door popped open and slid down. Sheridan was about to leap inside when Tarina stepped out and handed him two assault rifles. “What the hell are you doing here?” he stammered, unable to process why his wife was inside the shuttle.
“Take these and cover Colonel Keyl,” said Tarina. “Wendy and I have to get the shuttle ready to jump.” With that, she spun around and sprinted back to the bridge.
“What the frig is going on around here?” said Cole, taking a rifle.
“Do I look like I know?” replied Sheridan, losing his cool.
“Not really,” said Cole, flipping off his weapon’s safety.
From a side door burst Keyl leading a squad of Kurgan soldiers. In the middle of the pack were the siblings.
A shot rang out from the Chosen soldiers guarding General Kordus’ ship. One of Keyl’s men crumpled to the deck.
“Weapons free,” said Sheridan, dropping to one knee and bringing up his rifle to fire. He and Cole had killed three of Kordus’ warriors in a matter of seconds and sent the rest scrambling for cover.
Keyl’s party was less than thirty meters from the shuttle. It might as well have been thirty kilometers. From every direction, Kurgan and Chosen soldiers charged, trying to stop them. Bullets flew through the air. One by one, Keyl’s brave soldiers fell.
“They’re never going to make it,” said Cole through gritted teeth.
“What do you suggest?” asked Sheridan, dropping a couple more attackers.
“Give me your rifle and then run inside to get this shuttle’s cannons up and running.”
There was no time to argue, Sheridan threw his rifle to his friend and dove inside the open door yelling, “The cannons, activate the bloody cannons.”
Crimson Fire (The Kurgan War Book 8) Page 3