He Who Dares: Book Two (The Gray Chronicals 2)
Page 55
As promised, the huge ship moved sufficiently for them to negotiate the warp point, and soon found themselves back in their home system. While Mike took the time to test the warp point by sending a scout torp through and back, and as promised the warp point was now open both ways. Janice and Cooper in the mean time worked with the bot, and soon had its star chart align with her solar standard Nav charts. Even so, the stars had changed somewhat in 80,000 years, so it would take time to calculate a new baseline. The Admiralty would have a field day with this, as it showed dozens new warp point, opening up a vast array of star systems. At last, he gave the order to head in-system to the fueling station on Europa.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:
Admiral Rawlings stood at attention as they fired the traditional salute over the graves of the fallen men. Behind his impassive face he hid a slight smile, contemplating the forces that had conspired to cause the shuttle accident that killed the First Sea Lord, and two senior Fleet Admirals. Accident or not, he didn’t care, only that the roadblock to Naval progress was removed. In the wake of the disaster, several senior officers, and a few Captains sort early retirement, rather than wait until they were summarily removed. Now their benefactors and protector were no longer able to protect them, an honorable retirement was better than the alternative.
Later that same day, the King put his signature to this year’s honors list with a flourish, nodding in satisfaction. Eight men were on that list, in the military and Government, and could now be removed from their positions of power with little fuss. He knew the Prime Minister would have something to say about that, but this was one thing the Monarchy could do that he didn’t control. Preparations long since put into effect would now ensure that people loyal to Earth and his point of view would move up and take control. Yet there were still a few places he couldn’t reach, and he hoped the Lady Ann was having better luck in that department.
Lord Seaford, the Duke of Cardiff, Lord Ross and the other of the group made a clean sweep one evening. With the help of a select group of Royal Marine Commando’s of the King’s bodyguard, they arrested the top echelon of MI5 and Naval Intelligence. The King promptly placed Lord Seaford in charge of the new combined, secret service and intelligence operations, who in turn appointed Taffy as Chief of Operation. The Prime Minister stormed back and forth across his office at 10 Downing Street in fury as reports of the coup came in. Seeing all his carefully laid plan disappear, his power base eroded, but in a calmer moment he realized that he could still win. It all depended on the Sirrien Empire and what it did next. If they did what he expected, he would still be the first President of the Republish of Great Britain and Earth, and the Monarchy nothing but a fading memory.
* * * * * *
Mike knew none of this as he serenely crossed the gulf between Pluto on this way to Earth orbit. Like the shepherding moons he’d watched in the asteroid belt, unseen forces began pulling his destiny in another direction, one he would fight against and curse until his dying day.
THE END
BOOK TWO