Imperium: Coda: Book Three in the Imperium Trilogy

by Paul M Calvert

  He shook his head. “No, nothing in particular, I just like watching the sun come up from this window. I still find it hard to believe how lucky I am the Empress honoured me in this way,” Francis replied, thinking of how she had gifted him this suite for trying to defend her. He looked down and smiled, the sight of Rebecca warming him. “I’m so lucky to have found you, too.”

  Rebecca returned the smile and gently kissed his shoulder, “And I’m lucky to have you, Francis.” She rested her head on his shoulder and gently kissed it again.

  The two of them stood still, watching the sun quickly climb over the horizon, turning the sea on fire as it did so, the cloudless sky a perfect backdrop for the view. The giant window gently polarised, shielding their eyes from the sun, yet still allowing them to enjoy the spectacular view. At the bottom of the valley where it met the sea, several small fishing boats were already making their way out of the harbour, followed by dozens of hopeful seagulls. Francis activated the window’s audio pickup, directing it to pick up the faraway sounds and relay them into the room.

  The young couple stood there in silence for several minutes, warmed by each other company and the wonderful view, until Rebecca playfully reached down and patted his bottom, breaking Francis’s concentration. He playfully returned the favour, the two of them pressing together in a long and lingering kiss. Still locked in the embrace, Francis swept Rebecca into his arms and carried her over to the bed, climbing on and gently depositing her down, all without once breaking their kiss. A mental command from one, or both, of them, dimmed the outside view a little, but not enough so they couldn’t observe each other. Before becoming totally lost in his passion, Francis had the presence of mind to instruct the room’s AI to let his fellow gardeners know he would be a little late that morning…

  An hour later, after showering together, Francis and Rebecca had almost finished dressing when Vimes spoke to them both via their implants, apologising for interrupting their ablutions. The first time Rebecca had come to Francis’s room, Vimes had spoken to her and introduced himself. Not used to conversing directly to the AI which ran the Palace and most of Capital, she had been more than a little awed, not knowing what to say or how to interact with him. Francis had to explain how Vimes was keeping an eye on him until he was completely familiar with the high-end implant and new-found wealth which Christine had bestowed on him. Vimes had been managing it for Francis, placing it in various investments which would yield an income to supplement his pay as a Palace gardener, albeit a now famous one.

  Rebecca, like almost everyone, was in awe of Vimes but found herself liking him too.

  “Sorry for the interruption, but I have a message for Rebecca that concerns you both,” said Vimes, “your shift later this morning has been changed, and you now have several days free time. Normally, your supervisor would have informed you, but as you were with Francis, I took the liberty of contacting you myself. As for you, Francis, I’ve also rearranged your schedule to suit Rebecca’s. Rebecca, I have a package for you from off-world. It will arrive in an hour, and you can pick it up at the Marine spaceport. It is a small gift from Christine that I reminded her to get for you before leaving. Perhaps you would care to pick it up personally and take Francis with you? I understand neither of you has visited the military spaceport before, so you might both enjoy the experience?”

  The two young lovers looked at each other, and Rebecca smiled and nodded at Francis in agreement. He returned her smile and spoke out aloud. “Vimes, are you trying to do a bit of matchmaking here?”

  They both heard Vimes laughter in their head, Francis’s superior implant picking up the emotional content whereas Rebecca’s couldn’t. “I think I’m somewhat late in that respect, don’t you?” he replied, sending both of them a picture of their standing earlier by the window, his voice fading in their minds as Vimes took his leave of them.

  “Did he just…?” asked Rebecca, a little surprised at Vimes parting comment.

  “Yes, he did. For an AI, he has a fine sense of humour. Legend has it he has been looking after the Palace since the Empire’s founding, so I suppose it’s not surprising he has developed a distinct personality. It took me a while to get used to him.”

  “I’m hungry, shall we get something from the commissary and eat it on the way to the spaceport?” Rebecca asked, reminding Francis of how hungry he was. As if on cue, his stomach rumbled loudly, causing Rebecca to laugh at the sound.

  “I know,” he replied, “let's get something to eat, then we can pick up Willow from your room and bring him with us.”

  Rebecca nodded in agreement, finished putting on her outdoor shoes and dropped her dirty clothes and nightwear into the laundry basket. It would be emptied by the Palace staff along with the room being cleaned and refreshed after they left. Usually, this was a job Rebecca might undertake as part of her Palace duties, so it felt strange being here in the executive suites and having someone else do it for her.

  Already finished, Francis was waiting for her by the door. “Come on, get a move on, I’m starving.”

  Rebecca poked out her tongue at him, then stood up from the bed and hurried over, taking his arm as they walked through the door and hurried off to get her dog, before heading to the commissary, two floors down and next to a transit tube.

  Surprisingly, the three of them were the only occupants in the tube as it sped towards the spaceport. Willow, Rebecca’s dog, sat with his head in her lap, having exhausted himself for the moment by bouncing up and down when she’d picked him up with Francis. The two lovers held hands, not having said anything since the tube began. Francis was idly stroking Willow’s head and looking at the lights flashing hypnotically past on either side of the tube as they sped through the vacuum tunnels joining the Palace with the spaceport which was also the home to the Marine bodyguards responsible for Palace safety.

  Rebecca suddenly broke the silence. “Willow definitely likes you. I told you he was a good judge of character, didn’t I?” she asked.

  At the mention of his name, Willow’s head lifted and he looked at his mistress for a moment, then satisfied he wasn’t being asked to do anything, relaxed again.

  “Did I tell you I’d visited the Military Hospital again to thank them for saving me?” Francis asked.

  Rebecca shook her head. “No, when was that?”

  “A few days ago. The Marines invited me to join them for training whenever I feel like it, but I’ve got mixed feelings about going. Before I met you, I used to miss the Navy’s easy camaraderie, but now we are together it doesn’t seem so important. Anyway, training with them might awaken old regrets best kept hidden.”

  Rebecca nodded, understanding. Francis had told her about his short stint in the Marines and his reasons for leaving. She took his hand and squeezed it. They both lapsed back into silence. Thirty seconds later, Francis looked at Rebecca, only to catch her doing the same thing, making them both laugh. From their first meeting in the Palace Gardens, it had only been a short while before they had become lovers, each needing and finding something in the other which gave them peace.

  Rebecca had been worried about her father, a member of the Emperor’s bodyguard when the rebellion had first started. Knowing he was now safe had helped, but it was in Francis and his quiet yet strong presence, where she found the peace and security she hadn’t realised had been missing from her life following the death of her mother.

  For Francis it was different. Used to spending long periods alone in the Palace grounds, tending to the forest and gardens, for some time now he too had come to understand something was missing from his life. Although he had no lack of female company, Francis had preferred not to get involved with anyone. This had changed when he’d first spied Rebecca walking her dog in the Palace grounds and had desperately thought of some way to get to know her better. The subsequent attack on the Empress and his new found fame had been his chance to change this. Despite only having been with her a relatively short time, there was something about her gentlene
ss and spirit that made her company so easy.

  Willow was the first to sense they were arriving at the spaceport, perhaps picking up the tube’s gentle deceleration before they did. He lifted his head from Rebecca’s knee and padded over to the exit, tail wagging furiously, giving them a look to get up and follow him. Moments later, the tube left the tunnel and entered the station, bright light flooding into the compartment. Coming to a slow halt, both Rebecca and Francis got up and followed Willow, telling him to stay close when the doors opened.

  The small crowd waiting to take the tube back to the Palace moved politely out of the way to let them exit, before trying to get themselves the best seats for the short return journey. Not familiar with the station layout, they both interrogated their implants for directions, then instructed the moving walkway beneath them to take them to their chosen exit. Within a few seconds, they were being propelled at a quick walking pace, the moving walkways making sure they avoided getting too close to the other people using it all around them. They held hands, Willow sitting down in front of them, calmly taking the experience in his stride. Just as humans had genetically improved themselves over the millennia, so had they treated their oldest companion, extending lifespans, removing aggression and improving intelligence.

  The walkway beneath them formed itself into a small platform, then began rising at a thirty-degree angle towards the ground floor exit, from where it would be a short walk to the spaceport's main buildings. Vimes had left pick-up details within the message to Rebecca, which directed her to the VIP section, away from the crowded and busy main areas. The VIP building was made of silver and chrome structural supports, the foamed metal made in zero gravity then shipped back to the planet via one of the many space elevators set across the planet’s equator. Transparent metal sheets filled the spaces between the supports, giving the place a light and airy, yet solid, feel.

  Since the rebellion, the number of ships using the spaceport had increased tenfold and overhead they could see a massive military transport taking off for destination unknown, rapidly vanishing as its powerful engines broke it free of Capital’s gravity and out into space. Through the glass, they could see several other ships of varying sizes dotted around. The closest, a sleek and fast looking courier ship was docked next to the VIP area. The reception desk was on the other side of a wide walkway, so they made their way over to it, feeling a little awed and not a little apprehensive by the opulent surroundings they found themselves in.

  “Have you ever been in a VIP area before, Francis?” asked Rebecca, holding onto his hand for reassurance.

  Francis shook his head. “Outside of the Palace, I can’t say that I have, although with the money Christine and Vimes gifted to me I don’t see why we won’t be using this ourselves one day.”

  The reception desk’s AI courteously interrogated their implants just before they reached it, determining if they required human assistance, then politely directed Rebecca to wait over by one of the doors, where her package would be delivered shortly. Following instructions, they stood by a small side-door which apparently led from the Customs area. Impulsively, and with nothing better to do while they waited, Francis kissed Rebecca, who returned it with enthusiasm, not knowing how long they might have to wait.

  Willow started barking and stood up, trying to get their attention. “Be quiet, Willow, you know Francis isn’t trying to hurt me,” she admonished her dog between kisses, not really paying any attention to him as she was too interested in Francis.

  “Well, this is a fine welcome, I must say. How about one for me?” came a deep, familiar voice, causing Rebecca to pull away from Francis with a start and look around at the figure who had apparently just come through the door. Willow bounded over and jumped up, recognising the man who stood smiling, ruffling the dog’s head with affection.

  “Dad!” exclaimed Rebecca, letting go of Francis and rushing over to the man and throwing herself into his open arms. “It’s you, it’s really you!”

  “Of course, it is, who else did you think it would be?” he asked with a broad smile, hugging her tight and breathing in the warm smell of her hair. He looked over her head at Francis, eying him up and down, nodding by way of a greeting once he’d sized him up. “I hope this young man is the Francis you have been writing to me about,” he asked.

  “Dad!” Rebecca exclaimed, motioning Francis over then hugging her father again, feeling her happiness almost explode. “How did you get here and why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

  Francis walked over and took the outstretched hand, noting the vice-like grip of a veteran Marine, returning it with one of his own, formed by years of hard work in the woods. The two men were of a size, both in height and build, the only difference being Francis had darker skin from his time in the open air. They locked eyes for a long moment before the Marine introduced himself.

  “Lieutenant Paul Webb, Imperial Bodyguard. Call me Paul. It’s good to meet you, Francis. I read about how you helped the Empress. You and that scythe of yours are quite famous now. It makes for an effective weapon at close quarters.” His expression noticeably softened. “Thank you for what you did that day.” He looked down at his daughter, who was watching how the two most important men in her life were reacting to one another. “And thank you for taking care of my daughter, too.”

  “It was my privilege, Paul. Rebecca has told me lots about you and your exploits in the Emperor’s service.” Francis looked at Rebecca, who let go of her father with one hand and took hold of his, squeezing gently in a gesture of affirmation, letting him know everything was fine.

  “What I want to know is how and why you are here?” Rebecca asked her father, fixing him with an accusative stare. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

  Paul smiled, enjoying the surprise. “Apparently, Vimes arranged it all on the Empress’s instructions, right after she met you for the first time at breakfast. It seems you made quite an impression on her, Rebecca. Vimes sent a fast courier ship to Dauntless when it was safe and brought me home.”

  “How long have you here with us?” Rebecca asked her father eagerly.

  Paul’s smile widened further. “It seems I’ve been reassigned to the Bodyguard here on Capital for twelve months, to help with training those who will be replacing those we lost on Heaven. There are big changes afoot, but nothing I can talk about.”

  Rebecca jumped up and down for joy, then hugged her father tightly again, making even the heavily muscled man wince. “Steady on, Rebecca, I still need these ribs to breathe!”

  “Have you any bags?” Francis asked, trying to be helpful and make a good impression.

  “Yes, but they are all being sent to my new quarters at the Palace Barracks,” he replied, putting his arm around Rebecca and pulling her close, “I’ve not eaten anything due to excitement, so how about we grab a cup of coffee and a sandwich? That looks like a nice place,” he said, gesturing towards a restaurant where they could sit down and eat, set back from the reception desk.

  Ten minutes later and both Francis and Rebecca were listening intently as Paul brought them up to date on what had happened to him and Dauntless. Hearing it first hand was far more interesting than seeing it on the news or reading about it. Paul had just reached the part about following the Emperor onto the rebel ship and how he had been fighting close beside him as they tried to take the enemy Bridge, when he was interrupted by an urgent system-wide announcement coming in via his implant. He could sense everyone else was simultaneously receiving the same message and business at the spaceport came to a halt as people tuned in and paid attention as the Imperial Fanfare that announced the start of the message began to fade.

  “His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Alexander, has made the following announcement: Whilst on a successful state visit to the Felidae Empress, Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Christine, was cruelly assassinated by an agent of Duke Frederick, posing as an aide. She passed swiftly and with little pain. The assassin was apprehended by Duke Gallagher and has b
een dealt with. The Empress shared to the end a love for the Empire and its people’s, enduring with you all the hardships and austerities which evil days imposed on the Empire’s people through the Succession War and now this latest rebellion. In return, she received from the people of the whole Empire a love and devotion which went beyond the usual relationship of an Empress and her subjects. Further bulletins will be made available as we receive them, but for additional information and details on the state of mourning, please visit any of the Imperial news channels.”

  All three of them stared at each other in a state of shock, not knowing what to say or do, until Rebecca reached out and took their hands in her own. They sat quietly, taking in the terrible and unexpected news, each thinking how the Empress had impacted on their lives. What had begun as a wonderful, happy day, had been turned on its head. Remembering the simple act of kindness Christine had shown her when she needed it, Rebecca began crying softly, her tears falling unnoticed amongst the trillions of others across the Empire.

  SCENE 10, TIDYING UP THE LOOSE ENDS

  Duke Frederick allowed himself a smile as he watched reports coming in from all over the Empire of Empress Christine’s death and the outpourings of grief and shock from those areas where the news was not under his control. Within his own, tightly controlled part of the Empire, he and the rebel Nobility were putting a different spin on the news, using Christine’s death to confirm the final end of the Imperial line and announcing that Frederick was to be crowned Emperor. These reports were no more than a day old, coming in from his spy network or sympathisers to his cause. He knew that the news of her death would be a blow to morale for Alexander’s troops and even more devastating to the man himself.

  The smile was short-lived, however, as the news of Christine’s death and the reaction to it was replaced by other reports of a more alarming nature. More and more instances were occurring where his systems were being methodically targeted by seemingly uncatchable insurgents spreading contradictory news and unsettling the general populace. With barely a handful of systems now unaffected, Frederick was increasingly having to use either Marines or some of his foreign mercenaries to quell riots, diverting much-needed resources from the front lines. Despite the threats and bribes he’d been forced to issue, the insurgents, whoever they were, remained uncatchable. Every time a transmitter had been identified and located by the Navy, it mysteriously vanished, and new transmitters began broadcasting almost immediately in another area, frustrating all attempts to destroy or capture them.