EMPIRE: Succession

by Richard F. Weyand

  “Your Majesty, this corridor is sealed off at this end for security purposes. This compartment is yours as is the next one. Colonel Stimson advised a separate preparation compartment for Milady Empress and her luggage would be most appropriate, Sire.”

  “That will work splendidly, Commander Burns. Dismissed.”

  Commander Burns left, and Parnell and Bouchard went on into their quarters.

  “It’s not much, Marie, but aboard ship it’s about as good as it gets.”

  “This is fine, Daniel. Our first apartment together. It’s cozy.”

  She kissed him.

  “Well, we made it this far,” she said.

  To Center

  After months of spacing in circles to keep up acceleration, and therefore gravity in the crew spaces, Illustrious was abuzz with activity. Marie Louise Bouchard’s luggage was brought in from the shuttle and stowed in the admiral’s suite next to the one in which they were rather intimately celebrating the completion of the next step in Amanda Peters’s plan.

  Colonel Stimson showered and changed into MCU, then packed his space bag and had it taken down and loaded aboard the shuttle. The shuttle itself was being refueled and checked over before the return to Verano.

  The Illustrious reentered hyperspace to get to its supplies caches, then dropped out of hyperspace and deployed parasites, its cargo shuttles, to begin transferring containers. Parnell and Bouchard took full advantage of the ship being at full stop to experience sex in zero gravity, and tried to do so without killing each other as they bounced around the compartment.

  The Illustrious had recently loaded stores, so topping up didn’t take long. The gravity alarm sounded, and Parnell and Bouchard, cuddled in the afterglow and floating in the middle of the compartment, scrambled to get secured before the ship began accelerating. The fastest way was to push off each other, sending them to opposite walls, down which they could make their way to the floor.

  Once under way, Bouchard went to her own compartment and showered and changed, while Parnell showered and changed in their main compartment. He dressed in uniform, she in a business suit.

  While they were both getting dressed, they got a VR message from Colonel Stimson that he was back aboard the shuttle preparing for launch. They wished him Good Spacing, and thanks for all the many things he had done to move the plan along.

  Parnell got a message from Admiral Stevens noting that the Illustrious was completely topped off and ready for space, and requesting orders. Parnell replied that the Illustrious was to project a hypergate for Stimson to return the shuttle to Verano, then draw the hypergate over itself and space for Center.

  Stimson spooled up the engines on the shuttle to generate slack, then unlatched from the dolly. He started sidling away from the Illustrious, then cut back on his acceleration and let the big carrier go an ahead.

  Once Stimson had fallen back far enough, Illustrious spun up her hypergate. Stimson went to two gravities’ acceleration, gained on Illustrious, and hit her hypergate, disappearing from normal space.

  Illustrious then drew her hypergate over herself and the big vessel also disappeared.

  Stimson spaced for Verano, arriving in Verano space after an hour and twenty minutes in hyperspace. He set a course for the San Jacinto spaceport, laid it into the navigation computer, and then sacked out. It was now three in the morning Sunday on Il Refugio, and he had been moving since yesterday morning. He could get a full eight hours in before the final four hours into San Jacinto spaceport.

  He woke four hours out to the alarm he had set, then brought the shuttle down into San Jacinto spaceport. The weekend crew chief from yesterday met him on the pad. He raised his eyebrows a bit at Stimson’s Marine MCU, which included his attack ship pilot insignia.

  “She’s a great bird, Sergeant. I didn’t wear her out too much.”

  “Thank you, Sir. I’m glad she performed well for you.”

  With hours of advance notice of Stimson’s arrival, James was waiting at the spaceport with the car, and drove him out to Il Refugio. They arrived about five o’clock Sunday afternoon. Stimson went up the steps under the portico into the main house, and into the sitting room.

  “Honey, I’m home.”

  Prieto, who had been fretting something would go wrong since yesterday morning, jumped up off the couch and ran to him, taking him in her arms.

  “You came back to me.”

  She kissed him.

  “My love, my darling love,” she said.

  He truly had come home.

  Once the Illustrious was in hyperspace, Parnell sent a meeting request to Stevens and Cosworth. He noted he would be bringing the Empress Marie. Ensign Berglund found another chair, and Parnell, Bouchard, Stevens, Cosworth, and Captain Julia Bianchi met in the flag briefing room.

  Everyone stood when Parnell and Bouchard showed up. Parnell sat down first.

  “Be seated, everyone.”

  Bouchard sat, and then the officers sat.

  “You have been out of contact with the rest of the Empire for the last three months. I need to bring you up to speed on what has happened, and then let you know what we are doing going forward.

  “First and foremost, the sector governors put up their own candidate for the Throne, Jerome Goulet, the Provence Sector Governor. He now rules in Imperial City as the Emperor Nerva.”

  There were some indrawn breaths at that.

  “He is actually a pretty good sector governor, Sire. I’m surprised he went for that,” Stevens said.

  “He is the best of all the sector governors, Admiral Stevens, He has always had the best interests of the Empire at heart. He took the Throne rather than stand aside, lest the sector governors pick someone of lesser caliber to get behind.”

  “But, but–“ Cosworth began, but Parnell held up a quieting hand.

  “The coronation is in seven weeks. Much will become clear after the coronation. In the meantime, I am General Parnell, and am returning to Imperial City to take up my official duties to the Throne. Do either of you have problems following my orders as General Parnell?”

  “No, Sir,” Stevens said. “Our last orders were to place ourselves under your command. Those orders have not been rescinded.”

  Cosworth nodded.

  “Excellent. There is an Emperor on the Throne now, and a second Emperor is one thing the Empire does not need. That is the official story, and that is where we must leave it. We are working a longer term plan, as I mentioned on the way to Verano.”

  “Then I must ask, uh, General Parnell, are there likely to be combat operations once we arrive in Center?”

  “I understand the need for the question, General Cosworth, and the answer is no. We must all do everything we can to avoid a civil war.”

  Cosworth nodded.

  “General Parnell, do you wish to go straight to Center, or, as we did on the way out, stop at some place like Richland to get the lay of the land?”

  “That is a very good question, Admiral Stevens.”

  Parnell looked at Bouchard, who blinked her eyes once, slowly. Parnell looked back to Stevens.

  “Let’s proceed in that way, Admiral Stevens. As a matter of fact, let’s make it Richland.”

  “So we transition into hyperspace in Richland, and, four months later, we drop out of hyperspace in the same system?” Cosworth asked. “I like it, General Parnell.”

  “General Parnell, should we plot a hyperspace scanning avoidance course, as we did on the way to Verano?” Stevens asked. “That is what we are following right now.”

  “Will we make Center in five weeks, Admiral Stevens?”

  “Yes, General Parnell.”

  “Then let’s stick with that, Admiral Stevens. If there are any other questions, please feel free to get in touch.”

  The word went down through the chain of command on Illustrious, both through the Imperial Navy contingent and the Imperial Marine contingent. There was another Emperor on the Throne, it wasn’t Daniel Parnell, and General Parnell
was returning to Imperial City to take up his Imperial Guard duties once again.

  But it had a ‘wink-wink-nudge-nudge’ feel to it.

  “I don’t like it,” Sounder said. “It’s too quiet.”

  “Now, now, don’t go getting paranoid,” Hawking said.

  “It’s been weeks since he rejected our suggestions. Since then, nothing.”

  “Well, not quite. He’s announced the coronation. Perhaps he’s just busy with that. That’s a very big event for the Palace to pull off.”

  “Perhaps,” Sounder said.

  She shrugged.

  “I suppose you’re right. Still, it’s unnerving.”

  “We’ve gotten him on the Throne, Beth. Our man. Let’s get the coronation behind us, then see what we can get done.”

  Almost four months after it left, the HMS Illustrious dropped out of hyperspace in the Richland system. Its QE radio system made contact with the Imperial network and it reported in to Imperial Navy Headquarters Center, as well as Imperial Fleet Base Richland.

  Illustrious requested expedited restocking and resupply, and Imperial Navy cargo shuttles began running containers of supplies out to the ship and swapping them out for empty containers.

  To any questions of ‘Where have you been,’ her commanders – Stevens, Cosworth, and Bianchi – said ‘Carrying out our mission.’ When asked what that mission was, they replied that the questioner didn’t have the clearance to know, and they should direct their questions to either His Majesty or the Co-Consul. None considered that wise.

  New orders came in from Imperial Fleet Headquarters Center, and were rescinded an hour later. The new orders were simple: ‘Previous orders still in effect. Continue mission per same.’ Which meant the ship and its crew were still under the personal command of Imperial Guard Brigadier General Daniel Parnell.

  Parnell called his mother at home on Garland.

  “Daniel! I’ve been so worried about you.”

  “Did you read Act V, Scene II?”

  “Yes. That’s the only thing that kept me sane these last four months. That you knew in advance to tell me it was a ruse. But I was beginning to think it had gone on too long.”

  “No, Mom. I’m fine. Everything is working out fine. Just like we planned it. I have to go, there are a lot of things going on, but I wanted to make sure you had heard the news.”

  “You be careful, Daniel. I don’t understand what’s going on, but I know enough to be worried.”

  “I will, Mom.”

  “God damn it, I knew it,” Sounder said.

  “It does seem passing strange,” Hawking said.

  “Gee, do ya think?” Sounder asked with sarcasm. “An entire carrier goes missing with Parnell aboard, and four months later it just shows up. ‘Oh, hi. Didja miss us?’ And with Parnell still aboard. Something’s up, and it’s not good.”

  “Agreed. I’m just trying to figure out what.”

  “And today we also get the invitation to the coronation. ‘His Majesty Emperor Nerva requests and requires your attendance.’ So are you going?”

  “Of course,” Hawking said. “Not to go is to deny your own authority as a sector governor. Besides, attendance in VR is specifically permitted. We won’t actually be there. He can’t clap us in irons or something.”

  “Agreed. I don’t know what all is going on, but I don’t like the shape this is taking.”

  “But what could we do about it, assuming we even knew?”

  “I don’t know,” Sounder said. “But I have assets in Imperial City, and I’m going to poke around a bit.”

  “Be careful.”

  “Of course.”

  Hawking, though, had his doubts. He started making his own plans.

  HMS Illustrious, now refueled and restocked, headed away from Richland at one and a half gravities. When she hit the safe hyperspace limit, she cast her hypergate out behind her, drew it over herself like a magician’s cloak, and disappeared.

  Three days later, the Illustrious dropped out of hyperspace in the Center system. As they accelerated toward the planet, Parnell addressed the crew.

  “To all crew members of HMS Illustrious and her air wing.

  “This is Daniel Parnell. I wanted to speak to you personally at this time.

  “I know that this mission has been tougher than most for a peace-time mission, and I apologize for the necessity of that. Trust me when I say that I know the hardship and grief your families felt by the ruse we played, and know that I personally appreciate it.

  “Nevertheless I have to ask one more hardship of you. I need to delay your well-earned planet leave by ten days. It is absolutely necessary, I can tell you that. I can also tell you that you will learn why and understand.

  “I can also tell you that you will be able to tell the tale, decades into the future, of your service, and the incredible journey of His Majesty’s Ship Illustrious, while your admiring grandchildren look on in awe and wonder.

  “Parnell out.”

  To make things simpler for the trip to the Imperial Palace, Bouchard was dressed as a major in the Imperial Guard, in MCU with the black fourragère. She had managed to attach her cameras to the regulation non-protective cover for MCU, the regulation protective cover being a helmet. There were some women officers in the Imperial Marines, and a very few in the Imperial Guard, so she was unusual but not impossible. Parnell was dressed in MDU with the gold fourragère, with the tabs and boards of a brigadier general.

  They would be landing at the Imperial City spaceport. The Imperial Marines Combat Training Center was four hundred miles south of Imperial City, where Imperial City spaceport was within fifty miles of Imperial Park and the Imperial Palace.

  The Imperial Marines also had a facility at the Imperial City spaceport. The Marine compound had warehouses and hangars to support Marine operations in and around Imperial City. The most famous of those was the ready squadron of attack ships that stood prepared to defend the Imperial Palace against air attack. The Imperial Marine facility at the Imperial City spaceport had its own attack ship pads, but it shared shuttle pads with the commercial operations at the spaceport.

  The fastest way into town was the high-speed suburban trains that were, this close to the city, completely underground. Surface transport by car could take hours depending on the traffic.

  So the plan was to have the shuttle come down in the area of the spaceport close to the Imperial Marines facility, and have Imperial Marines load up their luggage and transport it by van to the Imperial Palace. Parnell and Bouchard, however, would take the slidewalks to the trains, which would take them to within blocks of the Imperial Palace.

  They would be home within an hour of landing.

  Return Of The Shootist

  The Imperial Marines armored assault shuttle touched down lightly on the pad at the Imperial Marines side of the Imperial City spaceport. The main body of the spaceport was to their west, hundreds of shuttle pads marked out on the square miles of epoxycrete.

  “Ye gods,” Bouchard said. “It’s an epoxycrete planet.”

  Parnell chuckled.

  “Seems like it, doesn’t it?”

  While they waited for the pad to cool, they saw an Imperial Marine van pull up alongside the shuttle next to the cargo door. When the shuttle’s co-pilot opened the passenger door, a detail got out of the van, and four men and a sergeant got out.

  Parnell and Bouchard got out of the shuttle, and the sergeant came up and saluted as the four men began getting Bouchard’s luggage out of the shuttle.

  “Sure you don’t want a detail to accompany you to the Imperial Palace, Sir?” the sergeant asked.

  “Yes, Sergeant. We’re fine. Carry on.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  In truth, Parnell thought, if it dropped into the pot, a detail would just be in Bouchard’s way.

  Parnell and Bouchard walked over to the elevator lobby that had arisen out of the pavement next to the shuttle pad, and took the escalator down to the inbound slidewalk level.


  Bouchard was on high alert the whole way, even as she marveled at the level of infrastructure here on the capital planet of the Galactic Empire. Miles of underground slidewalks, merging into bigger slidewalks, leading to the terminal building and the subterranean trains. And this was just the inbound level. Another whole level of outbound slidewalks lay beneath.

  They arrived in the main arrival room of the terminal, acres of open space surrounded by retail outlets, with the escalators down to the suburban trains in the center. Hundreds of people criss-crossed this space even though it was early morning in Imperial City.

  “Looks like the Palace sent an escort detail,” Parnell said.

  Bouchard saw the squad of Imperial Guard coming across the arrival room toward them. Four men and a sergeant, all in MDUs with the gold fourragère.

  Bouchard inspected them closely as they approached. That wasn’t a regulation haircut there. Or there. That man’s shoes weren’t shined to standard. Nor those two. That man was wearing two Imperial Navy decorations. There should only be Imperial Marine decorations on Imperial Guard. And that man’s fourragère was dirty.

  No way this group came from the Imperial Palace!

  Bouchard put a hand out to Parnell and held him back, stepped in front of him as the putative Imperial Guard squad approached. She was calculating angles, waiting for the moment.

  When they were fifty feet away, Bouchard started barking orders.

  “GUARD SQUAD, HALT.”

  The five men stopped, but rather than standing still, they started to pull their sidearms.

  In an Empire of one and a third quadrillion human beings, there were probably millions of people who could outdraw Marie Louis Bouchard. None of these five was among them.

  “DOWN!” Bouchard screamed.

  Parnell, already warned by Bouchard pushing him behind her, dropped to the deck. Bouchard also dropped, her pistols already in her hands. She hit on her shoulder and rolled onto her back. Shooting over her head, she started double-tapping the men in front of her. Misses and over-penetrations, even from the super-expander platinum rounds, carried across the arrival room, impacting the ceiling and lighting fixtures. Parnell could hear glass crashing and people screaming.