The Prodigal Emperor (The Shadow Space Chronicles Book 3)

by Kal Spriggs

  Her eyes locked on the screen, determination shone through, “I promise you, Baron, I will put every effort into locating your daughter and bringing the men who kidnapped her to justice... but I think you need to be here.” She sighed, “Hopefully, by the time you're back we'll have some more information for you.”

  The transmission ended and Lucius stared at the screen, his eyes wide. He felt something ugly roil through his stomach. Kidnappings back on Nova Roma weren't uncommon, particularly for the nobility. Whether for political or monetary reasons, kidnappers both professional and amateur were common enough that Lucius had actually coordinated with several such investigations as a military officer, more often than not preventing ships from leaving the star system without a thorough search.

  That was why he knew just how poor the chances were that the kidnappers would be found if they hadn't been discovered immediately. I should have had better security, he thought, I put my daughter at risk and for my own arrogance.

  Emilee Stark had already paid the price for that arrogance. Lucius felt an iron hard determination form. His jaw clenched as he thought of just what he would do to the men in question if he caught them. Faraday had a death penalty for murder, but he was quite certain that they wouldn't have the opportunity for even a trial.

  Lucius switched his display back to Ensign Konetsky. “Thank you, Ensign. Please inform Captain Beeson that I'll be heading back to Faraday with the next courier vessel. Please have him make the preparations.” He closed off the connection before she could respond.

  Lucius's mind was already racing. He wanted to call Alicia Nix directly, but he knew better than to jog her elbow as she worked. She would locate the kidnappers, she did not need him looking over her shoulder, not just now.

  Later, he would have time for self-recrimination. Right now he had to think, he had to focus, because his daughter's life was on the line.

  And if the worst had already happened, then he would have to think about what to do to the men responsible... and just how painful he would make their deaths.

  ***

  Faraday Colony

  United Colonies

  February 3, 2404

  “I hate being in the dark,” Anthony Doko said as he stared at his datapad.

  “Oh come, now, you have to admit there is some fun in ferreting out the truth from the tiny hints here and there,” Lizmadie said cheerfully.

  Tony just leveled a glare in her direction. That glare lacked any real force, less because she was right and more because he knew she was just trying to distract him from his worry.

  And he had plenty of reason to worry. Earlier in the week, Alicia Nix had pulled all but two of her agents off of his protection detail. Given the fact that they were there to prevent another assassination attempt, that meant that something else had taken priority. The team of Nova Roma Marines, set in place by Lizmadie's brother, the Emperor, meant that he didn't feel entirely exposed, yet the sudden change had alerted Tony and his wife to the other signs.

  The news feeds had all been suspiciously quiet, yet Faraday's online forums and unofficial news outlets had reported odd goings-on. Military style checkpoints and searches were the most obvious, most of them centered in the area around the military and government apartments. Less obvious was the increase in police traffic stops and patrols all across Faraday. Even less obvious was the “temporary” space traffic freeze put in place. That one should have set off a number of alarms for people, but Faraday's traffic control had said it was tied to a new set of panels being transported and installed on the solar array.

  They are searching for someone or something, Tony knew, and they want to keep it quiet for some reason. There were any number of things they could be searching for, but Tony suspected it was somehow tied to his own private investigation into who had framed him.

  “We're going to have to hack FIB,” Tony said.

  Lizmadie quirked an eyebrow at him but didn't look up from her own datapad. “That's hardly the way to prove our innocence, you know. Hacking into a government database and accessing secure data is a felony.” Her tone, however, was more than a little gleeful. For a princess, she was quite the anarchist at times. “Well, even assuming that we were to do that, and assuming that we found out who they are looking for, what then?”

  “Who, or what,” Tony corrected automatically. They didn't yet know if the FIB hunted for someone or something that had been stolen. He thought it likely enough that someone had stolen information of some kind, which might just be how it all tied back into his own investigation. “We figure out how it ties into the traitor who framed me for freeing Admiral Mannetti,” Tony said.

  “That's assuming that there is a connection,” Lizmadie looked up. “And assuming that once you find out what this is about that you can stay out of it.” She sighed, “You do realize that one reason Lucius has closed you out of the loop is to protect you, right? So you wouldn't go digging around into something that would only put you in more trouble?”

  Tony froze and looked up from his datapad. Lizmadie sounded downright protective, which he appreciated, being her husband and all. Still, that meant she knew something. “Tell me.”

  She sighed again, but a moment later, Tony's datapad pinged. It was an official memorandum, dated for three days previously. It had a picture of a young baby, with dark hair and blue eyes. “Missing: Kaylee Giovanni, taken at twelve forty five...” Tony looked up, “Someone kidnapped Lucius's daughter?” His face paled as he thought about the potential consequences.

  “Yeah,” Lizmadie said. “There's a bit more in their files, but most of the details are on the memorandum there. That's what the manhunt is about. Apparently they found a ransom note at the scene, but it's not in the system, so I suspect the contents are either extremely sensitive or dangerous or both. This is a big mess and I don't think it involves us.”

  Tony just shook his head, “Those idiots.”

  “Who, the FIB or whoever was on Lucius's protection detail?” Lizmadie asked.

  “No,” Tony said, “the kidnappers.” He winced as he thought about the one time someone had tried to hold some of Lucius's crew hostage. “They have no idea what they've brought on themselves... and if they hurt his daughter...” He shook his head. “I mean, you were kidnapped yourself, think about what he did to rescue you, even not knowing that you were related to the Emperor at the time. He just thought you were some innocent girl in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He saw his wife nod at the reminder. Since it was also how they had first met, Tony felt oddly grateful that she had been in those circumstances, but no one involved would forget just how Lucius Giovanni had resolved the situation. Even for a stranger he had never met. He would move worlds to save his own daughter. “There's no way that anyone close to Lucius thought this one up; they would know just how he would react.”

  “Or maybe, overreact...” Lizmadie said in an intent voice. She leaned over her datapad and brought up more information. “Listen to this: The crime scene gave all the signs of amateur criminals. They took the nanny's daughter, either because they didn't know which baby was which or some other reason. They disabled the security camera systems in the building through force. One of them was injured by the nanny, they left the bullet casing from killing the nanny... There are a dozen other details here, but then there's this: the pistol used to kill the nanny and the guards at the front door was a Centauri P7K with a suppressor.”

  “That's military hardware,” Tony said. He frowned as he considered that. Faraday had once had an embargo on imported weapons. During the Chxor occupation, Lucius had shipped in a supply of arms for the rebels to use against the Chxor planetary defense bases, but Tony didn't think that had included any Centauri weapons and the emphasis had been on rifles and submachine guns, not pistols. “It could have been something from a private collection that someone picked up in the looting, I suppose...”

  “Or it could be something that our spy slipped them, while he convinced them to kidnap her,” Li
zmadie said, her voice flat with anger. “Think about it, how to best put Lucius off his game? He's got to be in the middle of organizing the attack on Nova Roma, if not about to give the final go-ahead. If the person who framed you wanted to distract Luicus at the last minute, this would be the perfect way.”

  Tony couldn't argue with that. Even isolated as he was, he knew that preparations were underway for an attack of some kind. The Nova Roma officers and enlisted had all but vanished from the streets and Lizmadie's brother, Emperor Romulus IV, had been particularly busy of late. Given Lucius's stated goal of liberating Nova Roma, Tony knew that meant the attack would be underway soon.

  And Lizmadie's assumption that this kidnapping's real purpose was to distract Lucius made all to much sense in that light. It would be the perfect way to derail the attack plans… but to what goal, Tony didn't know. He could guess that Admiral Mannetti might want to delay or distract Lucius for some reason and whatever it was, it wouldn't be good. “Okay,” Tony said as he pursed his lips, “So, someone slipped these amateurs, probably local criminals, a suppressed pistol and maybe some advice or even the location of Lucius's daughter.”

  “Almost certainly the location,” Lizmadie nodded, “that wasn't publicly available, so either it had to be someone in the military or someone who hacked their files.” She looked the data over and Tony felt a rush of warmth as he watched her work. He had married an amazing woman. “Listen to this, the FIB found traces of a hack into the military housing network. They're assuming it ties back to these apes, but I'm not so certain.” She worked for a moment longer, “Right, here it is: The hacking software used isn't commercially available. It looks like Nova Roma coding, maybe military in origin.”

  “Which sounds more and more like our spy,” Tony nodded. He brought up the display of their suspect pool. “So, our spy has or had access to Nova Roma systems as well as a military grade suppressed pistol of Centauri manufacture,” he said.

  “Given what we already knew,” he frowned, “and since that eliminates Reese since he's left the system...”

  Two names remained. Ensign Alberto Tascon and Colonel William Proscia. Either of them had access to military coding, but only Colonel Proscia should have had ready access to a military grade suppressed pistol. Lizmadie seemed to have mirrored his thoughts, “Does Colonel Proscia have any background or experience in hacking or computer software?”

  Tony's hands shook a bit as he pulled up the Marine's full file. How could the Colonel have betrayed them? Lucius had saved the man's life and that of his men at Danar when he had returned against orders to pick them up. He had served with them for years... and then again, so had almost everyone else on the short list of possible traitors.

  Part of him desperately wished that he wouldn't find a last bit of evidence against the man. William Proscia was not only a solid and capable officer and Marine, he was someone that Tony had considered a comrade and friend.

  At the very bottom of his file, Tony found the last bit of damning evidence. “His first assignment as a Lieutenant was the signals officer for his battalion. He completed a full communications, database management, and decryption course, and up until recently he maintained those qualifications in good standing.”

  He looked up and he felt some part of him suddenly aghast. He had begun this investigation hoping to prove his innocence, but some part of him had never really believed that anyone could betray his friend and mentor, especially not one of the better officers that Tony had served with. Yet the evidence was there, the motive made sense... and that meant that Tony and his wife had found the traitor. He met Lizmadie's eyes and spoke the words aloud, “Colonel William Proscia is the mole.”

  ***

  Lucius stepped down off the shuttle ramp and paused as he saw the assembled men and women awaiting him. He had expected Alicia Nix as the head of the FIB and Kate Bueller, his Foreign Minister had commed him to let him know that she would also be present, in part to speak for President Sara Cassin. Lucius had not expected Colonel William Prosica along with a squad of Marines in tow. Nor, in any reasonable expectation, had he thought that Ensign Alberto Tascon would be present. The self-centered young man had been last assigned to one of the Fleet's supply ships, as Lucius vaguely remembered.

  Alicia hadn't missed his look at Ensign Tascon. “Baron,” Alicia Nix said, “If we can get you into a more secure location, I can provide you with a full update.” Her voice was brusque, but Lucius didn't miss the distress in her voice. Lucius could only hope that wasn't because the worst had happened. Please, God, he thought, not my daughter.

  He followed them off of the private landing pad and into the government building behind. This was the first time he had used the pad and he was glad for the distraction of looking at the building to keep his mind from spiraling into despair or anger. The past ten days had been a living hell, trapped aboard a ship without an ansible, with his mind alternating between wondering about what had happened and thinking through what he wanted to do to those responsible.

  The building was to be the new military annex, he knew, with meeting rooms and offices for managing the entire Fleet, not just as it was now, but as it further expanded. The building had four private shuttle pads, designed to allow officers quick access to the building without having to drive across town to the space port. That will be most convenient, Lucius thought, if I have a sudden need to get to orbit to direct ship fire on the people who kidnapped my daughter.

  He suppressed that thought as he followed Alicia into a briefing room. “Well?” Lucius asked, too impatient to wait even for the others to finish filing in behind him. He didn't miss how Colonel Proscia's Marines formed up protectively outside the door, while a pair of them stood inside.

  “Your daughter is still alive, Baron,” Alicia said quickly.

  Lucius took a seat at the table and he felt like a puppet whose strings had been cut. “Thank God,” he said.

  Alicia brought up the display, “Baron, before I start, I'd like to offer you my full resignation. This happened on my watch and it is entirely my fault. I should have had a protective detail placed on you...”

  Lucius waved a hand dismissively, “It wasn't your fault, it was mine. I should have taken precautions and I shouldn't have dismissed yours and Colonel Proscia's earlier warnings about my safety. I'm not going to fire you for my failures. Now get on with the briefing.”

  “Yes, sir,” Alicia said, her eyes suddenly bright with tears. “As far as we can tell, this looks to be a local, amateur group that is politically and economically motivated.” She brought up a pair of images, both men were light complexioned, “We've identified the DNA from two of the kidnappers. The first man is Tyler Stuts, he's the son of Gregory Stuts, who was a prominent member of the Conservative Party under Faraday's old constitution. The other man is Randal Schultz IV, he's the son of Randal Schultz III, who was the former head of Schultz Enterprises.” Lucius grimaced at the revelation. Schultz Enterprises had tried to squash his manufacturing plant when he first came to Faraday. Since that plant was producing fighters to defend the system, Lucius had not taken it well. During the Chxor occupation, Schultz had been a firm collaborator with the Chxor, including selling out a number of rebels to the Chxor and using slave labor on his mining vessels. He had been tried and executed for crimes against humanity and Lucius hadn't even been aware that the man had any children.

  “So it's partially motivated by revenge as well,” Lucius said. That was bad. Amateur kidnappers were the most dangerous in general. They were likely to lose their heads and panic as they realized just how serious things had become. People who were afraid were likely to do unthinkable things to try to salvage the situation. Given that Lucius was at least indirectly responsible for the death of one of the kidnapper's fathers... the situation was rather dire.

  “They left a ransom note,” Kate Bueller said, “Which is basically a laundry list of everything that the Conservative Party would have wanted: reinstatement of the original Faraday Charter,
full deportation of all non-native people, restoration of the old currency, and about a half dozen other nitpicky things that only a privileged idiot would care about, before it gets to a demand for three hundred million Colonial Republic Solari.” His Minister of State wore a sour expression, as if the sheer distaste she felt for relaying their demands.

  Lucius nodded slowly, “Their terms are probably utterly ridiculous if not entirely impossible.” Just the effort involved in moving several million people off of the planet was preposterous. That they wanted a return to how things had been made sense... most kidnappers were caught up in their own fantasy world until reality came knocking. “But at least a couple of them are practical if they're asking for that much money... foreign currency too.” With Colonial Republic Solari, they could go almost anywhere in human space. The currency had less value in places like the Centauri Confederation, but they could still exchange it. “What else?”

  Alicia Nix's gaze went to Ensign Tascon. “The Ensign here has an offer for us.”

  Lucius's dark eyes focused on the young man in question.

  Ensign Tascon licked his lips nervously, “Well, you see, I was the one who located the hack they used to locate your apartment.”

  “You were?” Lucius asked. “Why would a communications officer aboard a military supply ship be the one to find that out?” There wasn't a legitimate reason, Lucius knew. Which meant that either Ensign Tascon was involved somehow... or that he had another reason.

  “He was hacking the planetary network, already,” Alicia Nix said. “And when we were sifting through the network for clues, we caught him.”

  Ensign Tascon looked at Alicia Nix and flushed, “Still, I was able to backtrack the hack, I can give you an address and I identified the source of the code. I can give you a great deal of other information including criminal contacts that they have. I pulled a lot of information off of their drives.”

  “So you say...” Lucius cocked an eyebrow at Alicia.