Together, the three of them strode over to the edge. A clear pane of Smart Metal TM protected them from the unlikely urge to hurl themselves down as well as the much more likely prospect of a sniper going for a kill shot.
Below them, the castle bulged, as three wide, entwined spirals rose up from the middle. Open galleries here, covered verandas there, extended out from the gleaming glass sides, adding living space and inviting its inhabitants to take in the air. Kris spotted tubs that she expected would soon have flowers, shrubs, and trees. Who knows, maybe some might turn their patios into gardens.
Kris nodded. This would be home for her and her family for the next five years. Hopefully, she would get to see it often. Even more hopefully, it would not be blown to bits.
But that was in the future. Just now, Kris had a bone to pick with the Iteeche Empire.
14
“Nelly, get me Ron,” Kris said, her voice cold with rage.
“Yes, Your Highness,” came from a holographic image of the Imperial Iteeche counselor.
“Ron, somebody damn near killed me, my husband, my kids, and your Emperor. What the hell does this great Iteeche Empire of yours have to say for itself?”
The simulation of the Iteeche bowed low. “My Eminent Chooser has headsmen and apologists ready to seize whoever tried to shoot you out of the sky or make it impossible for you to land, thereby putting His Imperial Worshipfulness at risk.”
He glanced up at Kris without rising from his low bow. “We were not taken by surprise. We had both uniform and plainclothes men in all the streets. We have taken several of the people who lit off the fireworks into custody. Sadly, they are minor players, hired to ‘celebrate’ your arrival with fireworks. The lasers were another matter. They were activated remotely. We are tracing them back to those who rented them out, but again, I can’t be sure that they also were not duped.”
“Ron, I’ve about had it with your Empire. I’m two seconds away from packing up my kids and taking this embassy and my fleet back to Wardhaven and letting you all stew in your own fish chowder.”
“Kris, you cannot,” In his shock, Ron had stood up straight. His face, usually white, was pale as a ghost.
“I can and I will. I’m not doing anything. No one will let me do anything. I want to see your Chooser. I want to see him right now, or so help me God, I’m out of here.”
“Just a moment Kris. Let me talk to my Chooser. It will only be a moment.”
The holograph vanished.
Kris took three deep breaths. The anger had been for show. Some of it. No. Damn little of it had been show. She hadn’t known she was going to threaten abandoning her mission until the words tumbled out of her mouth.
There was no chance she’d take them back. Not without some serious changes from this bunch of jumped up squid.
“Do you mean that?” Jack asked, his hand gently rubbing her back. As always, his touch did magic to the knots the day had tied her back in.
“Yes, I do. I’m risking every one of our lives and for what? We’re going nowhere.”
Beneath Kris, the castle began to come to life. Lights came on as an engineering watch, drawn from the fleet, or hired away from merchant ships, brought the reactors
back on line. And as the lights came on, elevators began to climb the castle.
Kris didn’t see the elevators start up. They only came in sight when they rose above the wide belly of the skyscraper. With Nelly’s kids running them, there was no problem filling up the tower. Several elevator cars ran on the same track, all coming up. One rose quickly straight to the veranda Kris stood on. As it came even with their level, it stopped, opened a door onto the balcony and disgorged a mob of small kids. Ruth and Johnnie lead the charge.
“Mommy, mommy, did you see the fireworks? Weren’t they just beautiful?” Ruth wanted Kris, and everyone within a hundred-mile radius to know. Kris picked her daughter up and gave her a very tight mommy hug.
She’d bet her life that Nelly could land 75,000 tons of metal right on the dot that was the center of this courtyard. She’d bet her life, and the lives of so many of her friends, and their children, that Nelly could do it.
She’d known the challenge wouldn’t be if Nelly could hit her target. Rather, she’d known that the real question was whether Nelly could hit the target while some rebels did all they could to make her fail.
Kris had offered her life and the lives of her children as surety that the Emperor would suffer no harm during this landing. Heads were going to roll for this attempt to kill her, her children . . . and the Emperor.
The Smart MetalTM of the elevator car that had delivered the children had sank back into the castle. A half-dozen cars followed them up the tower and passed rapidly delivering General Bruce and the first watch to the high alert stations that would operate the sensors and lasers on the top of the three spires. The airspace over the Emperor would now be guarded by both his Iteeche defense force and Kris’s.
As much as it pulled on Kris’s heart, she had fat that needed slammed into the fire. “Honey, you and Johnnie run along. You’re going to be so surprised by your room here, and if you want anything changed, just ask Cara or Agent Leslie or Aunt Gaby to change it and they will.”
So, the kids galloped off to discover their new quarters, with Cara sauntering along behind them. She’d been promised her own suite of rooms some distance from Abby’s. She looked about as happy as a teenager could be.
“Kris, Ron is calling.”
“Put him on.”
Again, a quarter size simulacrum of Ron hovered in the air in front of Kris. “Your Highness and Imperial Admiral of the First Order of Steel, I have the honor of reporting to you that my Eminent Chooser will afford you an audience in one of your hours. I am even now on my way to your palace to take you to his presence.”
“Ron, this better not be one of those show meetings. We either sit down and take a serious look at this situation - a serious look that means things change - or I walk. I walk right out of here and back to Wardhaven.”
Ron did a deep bow from the waist and spoke, “My Eminent Chooser is very aware of the circumstances of this meeting. He will take it in the privacy of his own personal rooms. Is that acceptable to you?”
“Likely. What’s happening with us getting to the bottom of tonight’s fiasco? If I was back on Wardhaven, our Bureau of Investigations would be turning over every rock in the city to find who ordered this atrocity. Their plan was to use me to kill your Emperor, for Christ’s sake.”
“Yes, but you didn’t.”
“That doesn’t matter one whit to me, Ron. Somebody did their damndest to splatter me and your Emperor all over the place.”
“Your Highness, we do not have the records that you humans keep. Many of us regularly pay cash for what we buy. Your credit chits give you a trail we don’t have. Our clans have the power of high, middle, and low justice. For us to take the head of someone with strong clan ties could lead to someone taking their clan over to the rebels. We must act within our traditions and practices, Your Highness. We will handle this.”
“Can you at least tell me what happened to the idiots that fired missiles at me on approach?”
“Yes. They are dead. There was only a radar truck and three rocket launching trailers. Your laser didn’t leave any of them alive to interrogate or get an apology from. I must applaud Nelly on her aim. Her laser bursts hit exactly what she aimed at and no more. The only collateral damage was from when the unlaunched missiles blew up. We did suffer four dead from the other missiles as their wreckage fell from the sky.”
Kris scowled. She knew as well as any that what goes up very often has to come down.
“I thought that we were over mountains,” Kris said.
“Even our mountains have people living there. Often very powerful people. Fortunately, the dead were from their servants. The blood price will be reasonable and easily paid. A little to the right and we would be talking to a Clan Master about the blood price of one of h
is own chosen.”
“I did not fire the missiles. Whoever fired them must pay any price.”
“Unfortunately, who fired them is not at hand to pay anything. You are. Therefore, you will.”
And Kris discovered another twist in the alien society that was the Empire of the Iteeche. Another twist she didn’t much like. Not at all.
“Ron, you’re just making me want to walk away from this mess you have.”
“I am approaching your palace, Kris. It is most spectacular. And it is already lit up. How do you humans do such things?”
“It’s magic, Ron. It’s just human magic.”
“What is your saying. ‘Yeah. Right’?”
“I’ll see you in a moment,” Kris said. “Nelly, I need an elevator.”
“Yes, ma’am. Please go inside.”
Kris returned to the room where Megan had been waiting. As she entered, an elevator car formed itself out of the floor and ceiling, right before her eyes. The door opened and the three of them entered.
The elevator started smoothly, going backwards. It took it a few seconds before it began to drop. After long minutes of descent, they popped out of the bottom of the castle a hundred meters above the Palace’s central plaza and continued their descent on the inside of one of the support struts. For the entire ride, the elevator was out of sight from anyone inside or outside the palace.
15
Kris exited the elevator to find herself facing a car park of heavily armored cars. Each had eight wheels. All had remote guns mounted atop them.
Kris raised an eyebrow at Jack.
“I’m still your chief security honcho. A reinforced Marine battalion will escort you whenever you go outside these walls.”
“Nelly, did you put all this armor together?”
“Yes, Kris. I can box it up when you’re done. When we don’t need the Smart Metal for armor fighting vehicles, I may use it to scatter some art replicas around the plaza, penthouse, and balconies. Humans need to learn to appreciate their art.”
Ron’s limo drove into the car area of the plaza and stopped. He got out, eyeing all the heavy armor around him. And when an Iteeche put all four eyes on anything, he was seriously surprised.
“Kris?” he said.
“Ron, so good of you to come. If you will join me in my vehicle, please.”
“I had thought to take you to my Eminent Chooser in my limo.”
“You will understand me being a bit gun shy after tonight.”
“Yes. Yes, I would understand.”
Jack pointed at the armored gun truck with an open door, and led them all to it. Since his three stars made him the most junior of the party, Jack entered first. Ron second. Kris took one last look around at matters, and entered the combat rig last.
Inside, the armored car looked very much like a limousine. Nelly had even created simulations of windows that showed the passengers a full view of what was outside them. The front cabin was blocked off with glass, much like a limo. Unlike a civilian rig, six Marines were on the other side. Three heavily armed dismounts waited alertly in the back row of seats. Ahead of them, sat a gunner, battle commander, and driver. All had the fake windows. All had full situational awareness of where they were and what they were passing.
As soon as Kris belted in, four armored cars rolled through the gate and out of the palace. Kris’s rig was fifth. Seven more followed her.
They crossed the moat and passed through the Iteeche guardhouse without stopping. Interestingly, all twelve rigs sported a five-star blue flag on their right front bumper and a three-star red flag on their left.
As they made a right turn onto the wide boulevard, a major contingent with more armored cars and main battle tanks mixed in, started up and lead them. More cars and armor were rumbling at the curb behind them. They formed the back door.
Quickly, two lanes in the very center of the street were taken over by the entire armored motorcade. Or was it battlecade? It didn’t matter, so long as it got Kris safely where she was going.
Far in the front, Kris could just make out a pair of Iteeche vehicles. One was Imperial red. It led with red lights flashing. Right behind it was a similar vehicle painted in magenta and cream. The lights on the top of it flashed magenta and cream as well.
“Nelly, get a flashing red light on all of my vehicles.”
“Red is reserved for the Imperial forces,” Ron quickly put in.
“I’m an Imperial Admiral,” Kris snapped back. “Nelly, also, put all the rigs into Marine red and gold or Navy blue and gold. So, Ron, who owns those colors?”
“Two clans that are in rebellion,” Ron said, evenly.
“Nelly, use more red and blue in the color pattern. Also include the globe, anchor, and spaceship emblem for the Marines, the Navy seal for the blues.”
“Done, Kris.”
“Your Highness, I know that you are angry that you and your family have been put at risk,” Ron began.
Kris cut him off. “Angry, Ron? Angry does not begin to cover it. I was angry when no one sent me the after-action battle reports when I asked for them. I was livid when my ships were fired on by ships supposedly loyal to the Imperium and assigned to drill with mine. I am outraged now, and about to discover what lies beyond that. You do not want to see a Longknife who is beyond rage.”
“I suspect my Eminent Chooser has. Remember, he negotiated a peace treaty with your Eminent Chooser.”
Kris refused to be mollified.
They sped through the night. Around them, Iteeche in three and four-wheel transports hastily pulled over to the curb and paused as Kris’s cavalcade raced by. This trip, not so much as a bug tried to block their passage.
The message to Kris was clear. The Iteeche were a people you had to keep kicking in their knees, or maybe nonexistent balls, until they begged to apologize to you.
She was prepared to do just that.
Part of the screen between Kris’s compartment and the war fighters changed and became an aerial map. Overhead imagery filled in the streets ahead of them. Nelly provided a flashing red light to show where they were.
“You are mapping the Imperial Capital?” Ron said, jaw slack.
“Yes, I do believe that we have,” Kris said.
“Maps of the Imperial Capital are forbidden, under pain of treason!”
“No wonder you can’t get anywhere.”
“Be that as it may be, you can not do this.”
“Be that as it may be, I am doing this, and will continue to do this. If you don’t like my overhead scouts, you can shoot them down.”
Ron began to mumble to himself. A moment later, he turned to Kris. “The Admiral in charge of Air Defense for the Imperial Precincts says that they cannot see anything flying over the city.”
“What they can’t see won’t bother anyone,” Kris shot back.
Ron just looked at Kris, his head shaking slowly.
The leading Iteeche vehicles slowed and turned into a large building, not all that different from the Rose Coral Palace; a big square with a nice open space in the middle. Most of Kris’s battle rigs dropped out, but six of them followed the police escort across the bridge, through a long murder hole, and out into a small parking lot. Two dozen Marines in immaculate blue and red uniforms dismounted and formed up with a major and Gunny ready to respond to orders.
KRIS, I HAVE DISPATCHED NANOS INTO THE PALACE. I HAVE NOT BEEN QUERIED OR ACCOSTED. THERE ARE SEVERAL SMALL MINIATURE WAR BOTS BUT THEY CAN’T SPOT ME. I AM MAPPING THE PALACE AS WE SPEAK.
THANK YOU, NELLY, LET ME KNOW IMMEDIATELY IF THERE IS ANY DIFFICULTY.
YES, KRIS. OH, KRIS, I HAVE FOUND ROTH. HE IS WAITING FOR YOU IN A PRIVATE GARDEN ON THE ROOF.
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO GET US THERE?
YES, I HAVE THE MOST DIRECT PATH MAPPED OUT.
THANK YOU.
When the Marines reported the situation well in hand, Jack dismounted. He did his own thorough look around, most likely reviewing the feed from his computer Sal’s nanos. �
�You may dismount, Admiral.
“Ron,” Kris said, waving him to proceed ahead of her.
“Really, Your Highness, is this all necessary? This is my Eminent Chooser’s own palace. Surely you know you are safe here.”
Kris gave him the look. He might be Iteeche, and see all humans as the same, but he flinched at the hard flint in her eyes and moved to exit the vehicle ahead of Kris.
Her Highness, Grand Admiral Kris Longknife, stepped from her armored limo and pulled down on her dress blues coat.
Coming toward her was an Iteeche in a floor length robe made from cloth of gold. He held a three-pronged trident in his the foremost of his left hands. He pounded it on the floor and cried, “I am Roon, Chamberlain to Roth, and he went on for a long list of Ron’s Chooser’s pedigree and offices.
Kris had to suppress an urge to buff her fingernails on the wool of her dress blues.
Ron cut him off when he paused for a breath.
“Lead us to my Eminent Chooser. Now!”
The chamberlain led off – in the wrong direction.
“Jack,” Kris said.
He quick walked to the Marine major. “Follow me,” and led them off in the opposite direction. Gunny quickly shouted orders and the first twelve Marines marched off, two by two. There was a small opening between the two sections and Kris slipped right in the space with Ron at her side and Megan pulling up right behind them.
“What are you doing?” Ron squeaked. So, a shocked Iteeche’s vocal cords could squeak. Kris filed that away for later use.
“In the time it took us to dismount, Nelly mapped this palace. Your major domo is leading us in the opposite direction from your Eminent Chooser. We are taking the direct route to him.”
Ron failed to close his mouth this time.
The chamberlain had noticed that he was the only headed where he was going. He shouted for them to follow him. Then screamed it. He ordered the Iteeche guards who had come with him to stop the wild humans from the deepest, darkest depths.
Jack was in the lead, with the major only a step behind and to his left. The Iteeche who tried to get in front of him might be one or two feet taller than him, but they took one look at him . . . and his drawn sword . . . and knew they could not stop this human. This human who had been invited to share the stars with their master in his private gardens.
Kris Longknife - Admiral Page 10