Exodus: Empires at War: Book 14: Rebellion.

by Doug Dandridge

  The ship moved to another location, not far, just enough where they didn’t have to worry about someone tracing their beam back. Normally they would have just pulsed their hyperdrive for a fraction of a second in a pattern that to most would be random noise. The system was full of traffic, a score of ships entering and leaving hyperspace every hour, hundreds in near transit. A Maurid piloted ship, knowing what the pulse meant, would come out, transiting nearby and receiving the information request. It would go into hyper, transit to another station several light hours out, then come back, passing off the information as it moved by. So far it had worked perfectly, the Cacas not suspecting their loyal subjects of anything. The Maurids were actually semi-autonomous within the Empire, as long as they adequately performed the tasks their lords and masters had assigned. They were better security officers than the large and clumsy Cacas, much more stealthy, able to get into places the big aliens couldn’t. Deadly killers, they had scotched many subversions by other species in the past, and had hated themselves for every one of those actions.

  The ship entered their sensor envelop a couple of hours later, moving out of the system at point three light, the maximum velocity they could carry to transit into hyper. All was going well, and Galland was beginning to think this might just be another textbook hand off. The encrypted transmission was shot their way, in a narrow arc that was sure to hit the human ship.

  “We’re getting it, ma’am,” called out the com officer. “Decrypting the header, now.”

  The header and the footer were the only parts of the message they would be able to decrypt, just so they could tell it was the message they wanted, and when it had ended. It frustrated the commander that they would never know what the message contained. Need to know. If their ship was captured it would be with a wiped memory core, and the crew would know nothing about any of the information they had received.

  “We’re picking up a pair of vessels pushing grabbers hot,” yelled out the exec from CIC. “Estimating two scouts, accel at five hundred and thirty gravities, on an intercept course with our friendly.”

  “Any sign they’ve picked us up?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  “Then let’s creep away. Ten gravities. Com. Get that message to headquarters, now.”

  “Are we going to do anything to help them, ma’am?” asked the weapons officer. “A spread of missiles?”

  “Negative. Our orders are to lay low and continue the mission.”

  “They have to know we’re here, ma’am. And it’s looking like the mission has been compromised anyway.”

  Galland shook her head. They were an intelligence asset in the Caca home system, and they would be difficult to replace. It was a shitty thing to do, but their friends were on their own. It was looking like their friends were going to have a very bad day, and she didn’t see any reason for her people to join them.

  * * *

  JEWEL.

  “We’ve received the information you asked for, your Majesty,” said Ekaterina Sergiov over the com holo. “Unfortunately, our furry friends got caught with their hands in the cookie jar.”

  Sean felt the sinking sensation of someone who had changed the rules and had hoped to get away with it. Instead, it was looking like it had come back to bite them.

  “Did our asset get away?” asked the Emperor, using the term that made it more clinical. They weren’t people, they were assets, to be used. Unfortunately for the young man who made the final decisions, no matter what words he used he couldn’t think of them as anything other than intelligent beings. People who lived or died at his command.

  “The stealth/attack is still in the system,” said the admiral in charge of Unified Intelligence. This was something she was used to, having been in charge of Imperial Intelligence before the war. People were lost in the spy game. Often they just disappeared, and those who sent them on missions never found out what happened to them.

  “I hope it was worth it,” said Sean in a low voice, receiving a nod from his intelligence chief. She wouldn’t say anything if it wasn’t. She served at his discretion, as did all the high rankers in the military. She might not approve in her thoughts, which mattered to the young Emperor who still wanted the approval of the old hands. Unfortunately, he didn’t always get it, and couldn’t allow that to affect his decision making.

  “Have you looked at it yet?”

  “I skimmed it. But I thought you would want to see for yourself as soon as possible. I can say that you were correct. Now, I can only hope that our assets are still in place to take advantage of the information.”

  “Thanks, Ekaterina. I’ll be back to you with my orders as soon as I make a decision.”

  The woman nodded, her expression one of concern for the pressure she had to know was on her monarch’s shoulders. The holo faded, replaced by another one, this of a being that had not been seen in the Empire prior to the war.

  The creature had a long snout, with intense wide spaced eyes and the high brow of a large brained being. The wiry fur was mostly gray, with black stripes. That was the easiest way for a human to differentiate the creatures, but even with hundreds of variations it wasn’t a sure fire way of telling them apart.

  “To the human Emperor. We hope this information is of use to you. We believe that you could have waited for the regularly scheduled transfer, but we do not know what is on your mind. May it prove of great use to you.”

  Sean took the admonishment in stride. He was grateful for the courage of the beings, and hoped that his decision wouldn’t cost them too much. That there would be a price to pay he was sure. He was hoping the intelligence he was about to receive would aid not just his own people, but the Maurids as well. If it resulted in more good than harm to his allies, he would consider it worth it.

  The information tape started with a video, showing Ca’cadasan males marching through the streets of the capital. They weren’t an attractive species to the human eye. In fact, they looked to many like the demons of many human religions. Like the Satan of a few of the old monotheistic religions on old Earth. But they were intelligent beings, and the Emperor had to wonder how they would have turned out if not for the tender mercies of the insectoid race that had conquered them early in their space faring history.

  To Sean’s eye the city was still a wreck, though he did see some repairs. The vid advanced, and dissenting males clashed with police and soldiers. The clash turned deadly; both sides being made of armed warriors it could be no other way. Beams linked firer and target, bodies fell to the ground with parts missing, red tinted steam filling the air overhead.

  It’s happening, thought the Emperor with a feeling of exultation. The Cacas were fighting among themselves. Did that mean that a full blown civil war was in the works? The demonstration turned riot that he was watching ended with a victory by the authorities. The next vid was another, this time the rebels striking from the shadows. There were more casualties among the police and elite soldiers this time. Still, it ended with the situation under apparent control. That the rebels were taking casualties and soldiering on was hopeful. That they were hurting the troops of authority was even more so. If only it would go on. The vid continued, showing more and more violence.

  The last vid was the most shocking. A view of a huge building with many towers reaching a kilometer into the sky. The translation of the words below the image stated that it was the Cathedral of the Gods, the primary religious structure of the Ca’cadasan Empire. And suddenly it was coming down. There was the hint of a flash, then an eruption of white fire, and then the building expanded slightly before it collapsed on itself.

  A nuclear warhead, thought Sean, leaning forward in his chair, reversing the vid, then playing it back a one eighth speed. He was sure after the second viewing that it had been a nuke, and that it had been set off in the bowels of the structure. The Emperor striking back at his own church. What had the Caca leader been thinking? Such an act could only fan the flames.

  “As far as we can tell,” sa
id the Maurid, coming back onto the vid, “the Emperor ordered a bomb to be set off in the subbasement of the Cathedral, then blamed it on the Church hording the weapon for use against him. Very few of the believers are buying that story. We are getting some reports from agents throughout the Empire that spacers and soldiers are disobeying Imperial orders. What percentage, and the effect it is having on their war effort? We just don’t know. But it looks like an opportunity might be there.”

  Sean sat back in his chair. It was a definite opportunity. But to do what? And why was this civil disobedience, and the Emperor’s reaction, occurring now? He wished the Maurids had been able to tell him that, but for some reason they hadn’t. Were they still playing both sides? He wouldn’t blame them. They had no past history with the humans, and no reason to believe that the New Terran Empire would keep its word. That they were hopeful that it would was shown by the cooperation they had extended.

  “Ekaterina,” Sean said into the air, and a moment later the woman’s head appeared on holo. “Did they send anything else?”

  “A great deal, your Majesty. Mostly hard data that may take some time to analyze.”

  “Get back to me with it as soon as you have anything. Don’t wait until you get to the end. Anything at all that you think might be of interest, and I want it on my desk. Immediately.”

  “Of course, your Majesty.”

  We might have something here, he thought, once again playing the vid. Any dissent in the Empire was to his advantage. But if there was a complete breakdown of military discipline, possibly even a civil war, things just might get interesting.

  * * *

  MAY 26TH, 1004. CA’CADASAN HOME SYSTEM.

  “The ungrateful pieces of offal,” screamed Jresstratta, slamming a pair of lower fists on the table while he raised the upper pair into the air. “After all the Empire has done for their people. The freedoms we have given them.”

  The others in the chamber looked down, none knowing what to say when the Emperor was in this mood. Finally the Chief of the Secret Police, Pellishar, spoke up. After all, almost half of his empire wide force were Maurids. If they were all involved, then his entire kingdom within the empire was bound to collapse.

  “It may be a small cabal within their species, Supreme Lord. We only know of the few that were on that station and in that ship.”

  “And you have those in custody?”

  “We were able to capture some few on the station,” said the Chief, giving a head motion of agreement. “Unfortunately, those aboard the ship died, suicided when we boarded, and every memory bank on board had been wiped clean to the molecular level.”

  “How many aboard the station, Chief?” asked one of the military advisors.

  “There was an intelligence colony of over two hundred on that station, mostly the families of operatives within the system.”

  The admiral grunted in acknowledgement. It was well known that the Maurids who worked on the capital world were hated by those they kept a watch on. Since they insisted in having family with them at their duty station, the spouses and children were kept on military stations in space, where they would be safe from retribution from those they watched.

  “And how many did you get?” asked Jresstratta, scowling at the Chief.

  “Seven,” said the male, looking down once again.

  “You mean they killed their families before letting you take them?” asked the Emperor, eyes blazing.

  “They killed their families,” said Pellishar, “then fought us, making us kill them. We were fortunate to stun the few we did.”

  “Barbarians,” shouted another of the advisors.

  “They work for my organization, General,” said the Chief. “They knew what would happen to their families, their children, if they were taken alive. What would you do?”

  “And you are interrogating them?” asked Jresstratta with a smile. “So we can be sure to get everything they know?”

  “Oh, yes,” said the Chief, giving another head motion of agreement. “I wouldn’t expect too much, though. The ones we captured were clerical staff, and not operators. The warriors among them made sure they weren’t captured. But what these people know, we will find out.”

  “I want reprisals against the Maurid people,” growled the Emperor, his cold eyes taking in all of his advisors. “I want them to know that they can’t betray us like this and get away with it.”

  “Supreme Lord,” said the Chief, grimacing. “We don’t know how far this conspiracy goes. It might be an outlying faction that has nothing to do with the Maurid leadership.”

  “And it might go all the way to the rotten core,” said the Emperor, slamming a fist on the table. “I don’t want to take chances with this. I want the cancer cut out, before it grows. Obviously the Maurids don’t fear me. That needs to change.”

  “We have over ten million of them involved in security Empire wide, Supreme Lord,” said the Chief, trying to change the Emperor’s mind. “As well as at least ten thousand in our intelligence gathering apparatus. If we alienate all of them…”

  “And if any refuse to do their duty, we will have found out who the sympathizers are,” said the Emperor, smiling like a predator playing with helpless prey. “They can be executed, and replacements found among those still loyal to the Empire.”

  “This is a mistake, Supreme Lord,” said the Chief, pushing it to the limit. “If we kill those who are loyal to the Empire, the rest of the species will have no reason to trust us. You don’t understand these people like I do. They are pack creatures, and they are loyal to those leaders who are loyal to them. Proof of disloyalty will sway them to resist.”

  “I don’t understand them?” screamed the Emperor, staring at the Chief, who recoiled from that look. “I understand that they have been selling us out, betraying us to the humans. Who knows how many battles we have lost because the humans had intelligence on our movements.” The Emperor was silent for a moment, nostrils flaring as he continued to stare at his Chief of Secret Police. “Are you refusing to follow my orders?”

  “No, no, Supreme Lord,” stammered the male, give a head nod of negation. “You are the supreme power, and it is only right that we obey your commands.”

  “Good. Just so we have no misunderstandings. Now, I want you to start by rounding up those in important positions. Put them to the question.”

  “Perhaps there is something else we can do, Supreme Majesty,” said Supreme Admiral Kelgarasse, a sly smile on his face. “There are, after all, over a dozen worlds with Maurid majority populations. I believe there are even a few near to the front, along the human axis of advance.”

  “What are you suggesting?” asked the Emperor, a thoughtful look on his face.

  “We are looking for systems to trap the humans, some place where we can lure them in and destroy a good sized force,” said the admiral, pulling up a holo star map and illuminating a couple of stellar systems. “We know the humans have a soft spot for the alien races that we have enslaved. They would say they have soft hearts, while I would point out that the defect is in their heads.”

  That elicited some short laughs from many in the room. The Emperor joined in for a moment, then raised a hand to silence the room.

  “I’m sure that the humans will come to the aid of the people who are helping them against us,” continued the admiral. “To them loyalty goes both ways. They would consider it a breach of faith to make use of the Maurids as spies, only to let them be punished for their transgressions on the part of their Empire. So, we set up our trap as usual, but hide it in a new manner. And let the humans know through the very net they have set up that an entire planet of their spies are about to be destroyed. They will be honor bound to attack that system and take our fleet out to save them. And when they are deep in the system, we trigger an event and destroy them. If it works out as we hope, we can take out a considerable force of their ships. Maybe enough to stop their offensive for some months, giving us time to rebuild. And giving us time to disman
tle their spy ring.”

  “And you’re suggesting that we continue to let the Maurids feed the humans with information?”

  “What we want the humans to know, yes. Enough real intelligence to make the humans believe the false that we are going to feed them. And we act as if everything we give them is on target. If it works out the way we want, we can not only destroy one large fleet force, but we can also set up a number of smaller battles that we come out on top of. And at the same time we can show the Maurids that they have thrown in with the wrong side. That being our friends will benefit them greatly, while betraying us will lead to end of their species.”

  “I like your way of thinking, Supreme Admiral,” said the Emperor, giving a head motion of acceptance. “I think I made the correct decision in promoting you. If this works, your reward will be great. Go ahead and set it up. I will look over your plan in the morning and give it my okay, or not.”

  The expression on the admiral’s face was priceless to the Emperor. A combination of delight that he would be able to forge a possible war winning plan, and panic that he only had one evening to put it together. That was the way the young emperor preferred it, that his staff would do their best to formulate plans, and that they realized their leader was not willing to wait very long for results.

  The Emperor turned and walked away, leaving something very important unsaid. If the plan didn’t work, or even worse rebounded to the detriment of the Empire, heads would have to answer for it. And a new head might have to move into the position of commander of the fleet, while the old head was displayed on a pike at the entrance to the palace.

  Chapter Eleven

  A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. Mahatma Gandhi