“Chilled water, please, after all, I am pregnant.”
Freya closed her eyes for a second and dipped her head, acknowledging her scent of smell was peerless. “Nine months is the normal gestation period for humans as I understand it, so when will you…?” Freya asked.
“Oh, not for quite a while yet. Things have been somewhat hectic for me since we last met,” Karen replied, not wanting to be any more specific.”
The small talk moved back and forth for a while, something Karen was grateful for as it gave her a chance to relax and compose herself. She wondered if Freya was able to detect a human's emotional state from their smell and whether the Felidae Empress was deliberately trying to put her at ease with the inconsequential byplay. Freya’s posture subtly shifted, and Karen knew the moment had arrived to explain why she was here. Before the Empress could enquire, Karen spoke first.
“Freya, forgive my unexpected appearance, but I come with a gift that both the Crown Prince and I wish to present to you and the Felidae Empire as a sign of the trust and respect we hold you in.”
“And the Emperor, is he in agreement with whatever it is, Karen?” Freya asked, immediately picking up on Karen’s phraseology, reminding her that here was a ferociously intelligent sentient at the top of her game.
“The Emperor is in agreement and will be abdicating in favour of his son once the rebellion has ended. Adam therefore has full authority to act and speak on behalf of the Emperor and Empire.”
Freya looked across to Mihos, saying nothing aloud, but Karen could imagine the unheard conversation passing between them. Alexander was a known factor to the Felidae, one they apparently trusted, but his son was another matter and would no doubt require them to reassess many of their long-term plans.
Freya spoke, “And you? Are you the new Ambassador to the Felidae or something more? I mean no disrespect nor issue a challenge, Karen, but why is it you sitting here in front of me and not Duke Gallagher or the Crown Prince himself? Am I to take this as a slight? Freya’s tone took on a slight edge.
“Far from it. It is a sign of the trust they have in you that they are willing to send the mother of a future Emperor to you, unarmed and alone, knowing she would be as safe as if being guarded by the entire Imperial Navy.”
Freya laughed, a surprisingly deep sound that trailed off into a purr-like end. “Ah, I was right, you have missed your true vocation. A fine diplomat you would make. Well said.” Freya’s ears turned backwards as a servant entered with a glass of water from the rear of the room and padded softly over to them, proffering the glass to Karen before vanishing as silently as it had appeared.
Freya waited patiently for Karen to take a long drink, then indicated she could continue.
Karen took a deep breath, then began.
“Vimes has sent to your ship’s AI an encrypted file, to which this is the key,” Karen said, handing over a long string of number and symbols she’d kept in the breast pocket of her flight suit. “The key will enable you to access the technical schematics of an improved Jump system. It is a modification of the existing Jump technology, but when incorporated into your ships will allow them to Jump without using a Jump Point to anywhere you have the Quantum Signature, even within a gravity well. Transit times will be virtually eliminated, and interstellar trade will increase exponentially.”
Karen paused and took a long drink of the chilled water, her mouth dry. Freya was watching her with a not unkind intensity, her face an unreadable alien mask. No reaction was forthcoming, so she continued.
“The Empire will shortly begin using this technology, currently installed into almost our entire war fleet, to bring the rebellion to a speedy conclusion.” She looked across at Mihos, “I am sure you both understand the military and economic advantages this technology presents to the holder.” Looking back at Freya, Karen continued, “Up until now it has been a closely guarded secret of the Imperial family, but the Crown Prince feels the rebellion needs to be ended swiftly. As a mark of our respect, we are presenting this to you as a gesture to reinforce the good relations between our two Empires.”
Long moments passed with neither Mihos or Freya moving or responding to Karen’s startling presentation. She could feel sweat begin to form in the small of her back despite the flight suits best efforts to absorb and evaporate away. After what seemed an age to Karen, Freya finally spoke.
“This is most unexpected, Karen, and I do not yet have the human words to express my feelings. I applaud your wisdom in sharing this priceless technology with us, for had we become aware of its use without advance warning, there would have been many in my military calling for us to prepare for an imminent war with your Empire before the balance of power was lost to us.”
Freya looked across at Mihos, who nodded his head in acceptance as Freya continued speaking, “But by sharing this beforehand, you have, yet again, shown an almost Felidae-like honour and wisdom. Again, I find myself in the unfamiliar situation of having to reassess both you and the Empire.”
Not knowing how to respond, Karen kept quiet, but smiled, relieved the message had been delivered and seemed to have been well received.
“Even for our technicians, I expect it will take time for us to retrofit our ships, but in the meantime, if you are in no hurry to return to the Empire, perhaps you could demonstrate this technology to me?” Freya held up a paw to forestall any objections from Mihos, who remained silent; a flicking tail the only sign of his agitation.
“It would be my honour. Do you have any place in mind?” asked Karen.
“It has been some time since I gazed upon my home world. Can your yacht Jump there? I suspect Vimes has the Quantum Signature somewhere in his memory, surreptitiously taken when Alexander visited Mau Prime during the ceremonies celebrating my becoming Empress. Is that not so?”
Karen quickly checked with Vimes who confirmed the Felidae Empress was correct. This reminded her that Freya had an uncommonly quick mind and was not one she should try to fool. “Her mind is probably every bit as good as my own, even with the extra enhancements I’ve had. Her ability to quickly assess a situation and make accurate assumptions is very impressive,” Karen thought to herself, sensing Vimes agreeing with her.
“I would be honoured. Will First Mihos be accompanying us, as I am sure he would wish to assess the technology first hand?
The two Felidae exchanged glances, then Mihos stood and bowed to Karen. “Thank you, Friend Karen. It has been many years since I was last in an Empire ship and then the circumstances were much different. At that time I doubt my presence was as welcome.” He looked up at Karen and smiled, locking his eyes onto hers and holding them for a few moments before breaking and bowing again.
“Shall we be off?” Freya asked, unwinding from the cushions in a sinuous movement before taking Karen’s hand and leading her to the doorway.
“What have I got myself into now?” Karen wondered, checking with Vimes to make sure he had begun altering the yacht’s life support system to Felidae norms and everything that had just happened had been transmitted to Adam, letting him know he could proceed.
A short while later, Karen’s yacht appeared behind the largest of Mau Prime’s two moons, well away from any orbiting weapon platforms or low orbit patrols, for she was taking no chances at being fired on by mistake. Even so, Vimes had insisted the yacht was cloaked and shielded before making the Jump.
A few minutes previously, both Freya and First Mihos had made themselves comfortable in chairs specially tailored by Vimes to fit their unique physiology. Of the three persons sitting on the Bridge, Freya was by far the most relaxed. Although First Mihos’s face remained impassive, his tail and ears gave away the tension he was feeling, mirroring Karen's.
As the Jump engines cycled down, Karen stayed merged with the yacht and checked on how well the cloak was holding before gently easing it from behind the moon’s shadow to enable Freya to see Mau Prime with her own eyes. The yacht’s mass sensors indicated multiple weapon platforms, and amongst the huge amoun
t of information coming in, Karen noticed at least ten space elevators circling the equator. These probably serviced the large structures in orbit which she assumed where docking facilities for the continuous stream of freighters and sundry transports she could detect travelling to and from the single Jump Station.
To register at this distance, almost thirty-one AU’s, she realised the Station must be massive and on par with the largest in the human Empire. “Soon to be made redundant,” she caught herself thinking.
Finally clearing the moon’s protective shadow, Karen got her first clear view of Mau Prime, using the sensors to zoom in on the planet and resolve the fine detail too small to be seen with the naked eye at this distance. Larger than Earth or Capital, its mass was almost the same, due to the two moons having been created from the planet during its formation. Two huge impacts by large masses had ripped huge quantities of the planet’s mantle away to eventually coalesce into the moons, allowing life to develop. The polar caps were smaller than she expected, and much of the planet seemed to be covered in grassland and open savannas, interspersed with small mountain ranges.
Unlike Earth or Capital, only forty percent of Mau Prime was covered in water, and Vimes explained this was down to it being far older than either of the others.
“It is tectonically more stable, with fewer continental plates resulting in less volcanic activity and smaller mountains. You will require strong sunscreen if you should land and walk about, for the smaller core generates a weaker magnetic field around the planet, allowing greater amounts of UV through,” Vimes told her.
Freya removed her seat restraints and went over to the main viewscreen, staring at the image of her home planet. Karen glanced across at First Mihos, who seemed totally engrossed with something. A quick check confirmed large quantities of data were being transmitted to and from someone in her yacht, and Karen surmised Mihos was updating himself and ordering the building of new Jump engines as a matter of urgency, now he had witnessed at first hand that the technology really worked.
Freya turned around to Karen.
“Come and join me, Karen. Vimes is capable of piloting this ship, aren’t you, Vimes?” she asked, unexpectedly addressing him aloud.
“That was unexpected,” the voice of Vimes sounding genuinely surprised at the comment. “Yes, I am, as you well know. It is pleasing to speak with you again after all these years, Freya.”
Freya turned around, and seeing the look of consternation on Karen’s face, made the soft sound that Karen knew was her laugh. “I recall Christine saying to me once, “one good turn deserves another,” therefore I will let you into a little secret, Karen. I have access to the memories of almost all my predecessors, going back many thousands of years. Like you, we are an old race and learnt how to genetically improve ourselves a long while ago. As Empress, I am gifted, or cursed, with these memories, for I am deemed the mother of my race and require the wisdom of my predecessors to keep us safe in the Great Hunt. When we first encountered humanity, billions lost their lives on both sides as we bled our Empires almost to destruction. To avoid further costly misunderstandings between us, my predecessor and your then Emperor, Richard IV, ensured that there would always be a line of communication between our two Empires. Vimes brokered the human part of this arrangement, and it was at this point my memories of him began, although I never actually spoke with him until my predecessor’s funeral when Alexander and Christine attended.”
“You never told me any of this, ” Karen thought at her companion, “why not?”
Vimes chuckled in her mind. “Firstly, you never asked, and more importantly, there was no reason to tell you. There is much you will not learn until you become Empress, and even then, only if I deem it important. I don’t say this to offend, but despite your relationship with Adam, you are still a commoner and not even officially a member of the Imperial Court. This will change in time, but not yet.”
“Did Christine know?” Karen thought back.
“Of cours. On being told she took the decision to ensure she and Freya had an understanding. Their last meeting was as much about renewing their personal bond as it was reinforcing the treaty. Felidae put great stock on filial relationships, and face to face contact reinforces these bonds for them.”
Karen disengaged herself from the command chair then walked over to Freya to stand alongside. She looked at the viewscreen, using her implant to search the ship’s records for any details about the planet gleaned from previous visits by dignitaries or the Imperial family.
For the moment keeping silent, Karen watched the planet, her implant overlaying the few details it had onto her vision, marking out the occasional city name or continent. Several minutes passed before she spoke.
“So you can remember the War using your predecessors’ memories? What was it like from the Felidae perspective, Freya? Why did it happen?”
Freya turned away from the slowly approaching planet and fixed her gaze onto Karen, who had the sudden feeling she was being assessed and seen properly for the first time. The Felidae Empress said nothing for ten seconds, standing completely still as if frozen, breaking the moment by turning back to look at the viewscreen again. She spoke to Karen over her shoulder.
“Much as I wish to walk again on my home world, it would be prudent to spend more time assessing the new technologies impact before making it widely known, so we will remain here. First Mihos has already taken the necessary steps to integrate your gift. Only time will tell whether it ultimately turns out to be a blessing or a curse for both our Empires.”
Freya spoke again to Vimes, “Please integrate me into this yacht’s systems so I can control the holographic projectors.”
Vimes did so, and immediately the familiar surroundings of the room vanished, replaced with a perfect representation of a scene from Mau Prime, even down to a change in the room’s smell. All around her, Karen could see a wide savanna-like vista, similar to the one displayed in the grand meeting hall of Freya’s Progression ship. In the distance, Karen could make out small groups of Felidae close to a large herd of wildebeest-like creatures that were chewing contentedly on the yellow-buff grass. The Felidae were circling the herd, obviously trying to avoid detection and Karen guessed they were going to try and stampede the grazing creatures towards where one or more could be brought down and killed.
So engrossed with the hunt, Karen didn’t notice that Freya had moved next to her, jumping when she spoke.
“We are predators, Karen, like your race, but unlike Humans, we do not try and fool ourselves of the fact. It is in our nature to expand our territory and dominate, but we work with nature instead of taming it.”
“What is this, Freya? Is it now or in the past?” Karen asked, not wishing to take her eyes off the familiar yet alien scene.
“The past; but watch, Karen, all will be revealed.”
SCENE 20, THE LONGEST DAY, ABOARD BRITANNIA
The rebel fleet coming from the planet had lined up into a standard battle formation, shedding speed as it manoeuvred into position. Britannia’s viewing tank clearly showed Interdiction Frigates covering the larger and less manoeuvrable capital ships, whose powerful shields provided additional protection for the smaller Frigates. Support craft and auxiliaries were being held back half a day’s flight time away, of no use in the upcoming battle.
In comparison, Admiral Frith had recalled her ships attacking the Jump Station and returned them to the Fleet, which she had loosely spread out in a pattern more reminiscent of a review.
Adam turned away from the tank and spoke to Frith. “I would bet a lot of money the Rebel Commander is wondering what the hell is going on. They must suspect we have something, but cannot fathom what it might be.”
“Agreed, but they will find out soon enough,” she replied, beginning the fleet-wide countdown. “When we Jump from here, he will think we vanished. By the time he receives a signal from the planet telling him we are there, we will have retaken it for the Empire and saved those poor souls from t
hemselves.”
Adam nodded, listening to the timer in his head count down to the Jump. So far from the Jump Point, when Adam’s fleet vanished the enemy would think they had been tricked into chasing a mirage. Tension aboard the Bridge was palpable, yet everyone’s mood and confidence was the highest he had seen it since coming aboard. The announcement of the new Jump technology had been met with amazement, which quickly turned to relief when everyone began to understand the ramifications for the fight ahead. Every member of the crew wanted to go home to their families, and anything that shortened the war was welcomed with open arms.
The Senior Weapons Master, Sharan Singh, confirmed all weapon systems were hot and warned of a large energy surge coming from the rebel fleet, just as the countdown reached zero…….
Discontinuity…
An involuntary cheer rang out across the Bridge as the fleet appeared in orbit around the planet, taking the defenders completely by surprise. As a result of this totally unexpected manoeuvre, planetary shields and orbiting weapon platforms were in low power mode and not fully hardened. The few capital ships left behind that hadn’t been part of the rebel fleet, now many days away, were not state of the art and in a similar state of unreadiness.
“Fire at will,” Frith’s voice rang out and sounded in the minds of everyone across the fleet, as incandescent beams of energy burst forth from a million projectors to impact on shields. Despite heroic efforts from the defenders, far too many were not at their stations and by the time they had reacted to battle stations, for many the fight was effectively over. AI’s reacted with their customary blinding speed and efficiency, but could not overcome the laws of physics and bring systems to battle readiness in an instant.
Orbital weapon platforms protecting the planetary Lord’s Palace were the first targets designated by Admiral Frith, destroyed within minutes as streams of railgun slugs destroyed their power generators and weapon emitters once particle beam weapons had flattened wall shields unable to cope with the furious torrents of energy directed at them. The Imperial forces, now keenly aware of how the rebel Marines had been deceived by the plotters, tried to ensure loss of life was kept to a minimum, but even so, they knew that every hammer blow they struck would kill many of their erstwhile colleagues, the knowledge tempering their exultation at being victorious. In quick succession, the platforms failed, often without having fired a single shot is response.
Imperium: Coda: Book Three in the Imperium Trilogy Page 29