by Terry Mixon
“You mean Commander Mertz. I do not recognize that idiotic edict.”
“Unfortunately for you, your father already did. All that remains is for the Senate to verify it was ratified or ratify it themselves. With all due respect, Highness, this little charade is over.”
“And if I were to place you under arrest?”
Yeats smiled. “The Senate is aware of where I am. I speak on their behalf as well. Unless you’d like to see your position as heir debated today, I suggest you step back from the abyss and allow the law to work as our founders designed it. And that applies to Her Highness, as well.”
Ethan snarled, but eventually waved a hand dismissing them.
The admiral helped Jared to his feet and the marines escorted them out of the audience chamber with the Imperial Guard following along behind them. They took Jared back to the detention level and to a conference room. Yeats gestured for the guards to leave and sat down.
He placed a small device on the table. “This will interfere with their monitoring equipment. We should have a few minutes while they address the problem. Are you and Princess Kelsey alright?”
Jared slumped. “I’m better than I was before you showed up. He was going to send me to the executioner right as you walked in. Good timing, by the way.”
“I have contacts in the Imperial Guard. They gave me a heads up. I called a few Senators. No one is happy with what’s going on here. I never suspected the heir to be so rash. Or to try something so iron fisted.”
“I did warn you.”
Yeats nodded. “So you did. How’s the princess?”
“Locked up in the cell next to mine. She’s worried about her father and pissed at her brother. Do you think the Senate will stand up to him?”
“To a point, yes. No one wants to see an emperor gone wild. The balance of powers is there for a reason. The Senate judges matters of treason to keep the emperor from executing anyone he chooses. He’s the one to charge a traitor so that the Senate doesn’t have all the authority.
“So, you’ll have a trial. You and Princess Kelsey both. His people will have to produce some evidence. This highhanded behavior will make the senators cautious. His Highness just made it more likely they’ll validate the edict just to remind him that he isn’t a dictator. And, to be fair, they’re terrified of the Rebel Empire and what war with them means.”
Jared sighed. “I just wish it wasn’t so likely there would be an ‘accident’ here. I don’t want to be ‘shot while trying to escape’ tonight.”
“I’ll see what I can do to make clear that won’t be tolerated.”
The door opened and Yeats pocketed the device as a man came in and looked at the camera. “My apologies, Admiral. The camera in this room appears to be out of order. Would you care to use another one?”
“That’s fine. We’re done here anyway. You can take Admiral Mertz back to his cell.”
Jared stood. “Thank you, Admiral.”
“My pleasure. I don’t want to see anything happen to my most promising officer.” He stared at the guard intently. “If something did happen—to either him or Her Highness—I guarantee the Imperial Senate would put everyone involved under a deep scanner to find out what happened. Pass the word around and save your friends the pain. Do you get me?”
The guard nodded. “I understand and I’ll make sure nothing untoward happens.”
The man escorted Jared back to his cell, and locked him in. The guard’s expression told him that he was taking that very direct warning seriously.
Jared pinged Kelsey as soon as he was alone and filled her in.
The rat! You were right all along. Her mental voice was outraged.
That’s not much comfort if we can’t get out of here. The only hope I’m seeing is your father getting better.
Let’s both pray for that. And that no one else does anything to complicate this even further.
* * * * *
Talbot sat still long enough for them to set his arm and regenerate the rest of the damage. Then he cornered Angela to find out what the situation really was.
“Events have been unfolding,” she said. “Not as drastically as some we’ve faced, but not smoothly. The admiral and princess are in custody, charged with high treason. The emperor is in critical condition, his fate uncertain. Breckenridge is on the loose somewhere. Frankly, I’m surprised he didn’t turn up in our raid.”
“That would have been entirely too lucky. No, he’s up to something else. Probably a chip in the fight to control Fleet. He’d make a great figurehead and a lever for his uncle, the senator. There’s still some kind of surprise working in that area.”
She sighed. “We need to get them loose. The heir has way too much opportunity to see them dead in one way or another. As the princess says, it’s easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.”
He frowned. “She’s not the best role model when it comes to that kind of thing.”
Angela smiled. “How do we manage to break them out of the most secure facility in the Empire? All we have is the equipment in this pinnace.
“We could get in with the armor, if they didn’t shoot the pinnace down on approach, but burning down the Imperial Palace will win us no friends. Even if everything went according to plan, the odds someone would just shoot them are too high. We can’t risk it.”
He gave the situation some thought. “Are those really all the resources we have? What about Carl? Oh, and congrats, by the way.”
She frowned. “For what?”
“I hear you two are an item.”
She planted her hands on her hips and glared. “Christ! You weren’t even here an hour. He and I are not dating. We did not sleep together. None of that is true.”
He grinned. “That only makes the rumors juicier.”
“Anyway,” she said, ignoring his jibes, “we can get some assistance through Persephone. Not for attacking the Imperial Palace, but certainly general statuses on all the crap going on.”
He allowed his expression to go serious. “It would be better if we could get the emperor back on the Throne. I’ll give them a call. Angela, you’ve done a great job. Go see if any of Carl’s tech might help us turn the tide.”
Angela sighed. “I guess that shouldn’t surprise me, but I’m kind of scared what he might do. He’s demonstrated some unexpected backbone.”
“You find out the quality of your friends when the chips are down. There’s more to Carl Owlet than most people suspect. He’s an ace in the hole. Now, go make nice while I see what other fires have broken out.”
* * * * *
Elise stepped into the medical center on Invincible and spotted Doctor Stone bent over an unfamiliar instrument. She walked over and cleared her throat. “Doctor.”
The dark haired medical officer looked up and smiled. “Highness. I understand you’re going back down to talk with Senator Breckenridge. I have something I’d like to send with you.”
Elise took a vial of taffy colored liquid from the other woman. “Is this an antidote to the poison?”
“Yes and no. There isn’t an easy way to make an antidote for that particular poison. It has a binding agent that makes it hard to clear out.
“This is a combination of a new drug that will slow its progress and nanites that can repair the damage that it already caused. Together, they offer the emperor a chance to fight this off.”
“Shouldn’t you be taking this down yourself and getting it into him as soon as possible?”
Stone growled with obvious frustration. “The heir has barred all of us from his father and has forbidden any ‘experimental’ treatments. The emperor’s physician doesn’t have the clout to fight him and I can’t just send the data. He can’t make nanites.
“I hear that has a number of senators calling for immediate access to His Majesty, but we don’t have time to waste. People are growing worried and suspicious, but this needs to be smuggled into the Imperial Palace and administered to the emperor now.
“I’m g
uessing the progress of the poison will be irreversible in less than twelve hours. The treatment we already gave him helped give him more time. Otherwise, he’d already have died.”
Elise stared at the potential cure. “And how does someone sneak into a place like that? The emperor must be under heavy guard. It seems impossible.”
“Welcome to the big league. Talbot, Angela Ellis, and Carl Owlet are down there. If you can get some assistance from Senator Breckenridge, it might be possible. It’s the only hope we have of stopping the heir. Otherwise, he’ll find a way to kill Admiral Mertz and probably the princess, too.”
Elise nodded. “I’ll do it, of course. Anything for Jared.”
“Excellent. Persephone has a second stealthed pinnace. It will take you and some additional marines down to support any actions they feel necessary. Planetary control is denying Fleet traffic access to the surface. There’s some kind of confrontation building there.
“I’m not sure how the heir means to take control of Fleet, but I’m sure that’s on his list of things to do. He certainly doesn’t want us helping his father or rescuing his prisoners. I hear he told the Senate they couldn’t have custody. That he would hold onto the admiral and princess until his father either recovered or died. He didn’t make a lot of friends, so that might help you, too.”
“I’d best go pack a bag. If this drags on, I’ll want some clean clothes.”
Chapter Thirty
Carl listened to Angela’s summary of their situation, including the news they’d need to smuggle people into the Imperial Palace with growing worry. How the hell were they going to do something crazy like that?
The security system there had to be the best in the New Terran Empire. Which meant he needed to use the best he could cobble together from Old Empire technology. And they had less than twelve hours to make it happen. It seemed hopeless.
Unless he really went outside the box.
“I need to get back to the university,” he said. “To the lab where my equipment is stored. There’s something there that might help us.”
Angela looked unconvinced. “Like what?”
“Some equipment I got from Omega. A way of going from one place to another without crossing the intervening space. We might not be able to make the sample hardware work, but I don’t know if we have another option.”
“Well, some chance is better than none. We have a grav car that won’t raise any eyebrows. I’ll get a team together.”
She called Major Talbot and gave him the rundown. He sent them on their way with his blessing.
They sat in the back of the grav car while two marines sat up front. He took a deep breath and pitched his voice low. “I’m sorry for the rumors.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Did you start them?”
“No!”
The two marines up front glanced back at them.
“Ears front,” Angela said firmly. “Carl, the situation dictated what we did. Don’t let this freak you out.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t be sorry for what it does to your reputation.”
The other eyebrow went up. “Seriously? What does that even mean?”
“I’m a kid and they’re saying…you know.”
She laughed softly. “Let’s spin this in a different direction. They’re saying I slept with the man who took out a hit team sent to kidnap or kill him. With a freaking hammer out of legend. One that can fly like a superhero.”
“That’s not who I am.”
“That’s exactly who you are,” she said firmly. “I fell into the trap of seeing what you look like and thinking it was who you are. Don’t make the same mistake. Inside that nerdy body is a man with the heart of a hero. One not afraid to risk death for what he believes in.”
He felt his face heat. “I’m not sure you know me as well as you think. I was terrified.”
“Everyone mistakes courage for lack of fear. We’re all terrified when the shit hits the fan. Bravery is doing what you have to do in spite of your knees knocking.”
He thought about that all the way to the university.
* * * * *
Ethan swept into a room deep in the bowels of the Palace. He only had his most trusted men with him now, because of who he was meeting.
Someone had found Captain Breckenridge a replacement uniform, he saw as the man came to his feet.
“Captain Breckenridge. Welcome to the Imperial Palace.”
The renegade Fleet officer saluted, as he should. “Highness, it’s an honor.”
Ethan sat on the other side of the table. “Please have a seat. Time is short. I apologize for any discomfort you experienced during your rescue.”
The man smiled as he sat. “It was all worth it. I assume you brought me here for a reason.”
He wondered if the Fleet officer knew how inane that sounded. “As you could no doubt tell from the method of your rescue, I need a man I know I can count on at my side. Fleet has proven treacherous. Are you willing to help me tame it?”
Breckenridge’s smile widened. “Of course, Highness. They were about to take everything from me, all because I was loyal to the Empire. And to you, of course. You’re obviously willing to give me my life back. How can I help?”
“I can no longer trust Admiral Yeats to lead Fleet with the Empire’s best interests at heart. I need a man at the top who will remember who he serves. Are you that man?”
“I am. And I know these rebels better than any other officer you’re likely to find. Together, we can not only unite the Empire, but also crush our enemies. The ones Jared Mertz brought down on our heads. I have a number of people I can call on to assist us that are personally loyal to me. And you, of course.”
Ethan smiled. “Then I think we have a deal, Admiral Breckenridge. Call your people. I want to head up to Orbital One shortly.”
* * * * *
Elise smiled at Senator Breckenridge’s assistant as he let her into the man’s office. That smile faded when she saw Breckenridge’s grim expression.
“Have a seat, Highness. It’s early for a drink, but one certainly wouldn’t be out of line with the awful events of last night.”
“Coffee would be good, if you have any.”
“That I can do.” He made his way to the bar and set some to brewing. “I assume you’re fully aware of the emperor’s condition.”
“Yes.” She considered telling him what was in her pocket, but decided to feel out how he was doing first. “I’m horrified, of course, and worried about the future. That’s the main reason I’ve come to speak with you.”
He nodded. “You aren’t sure how I’m seeing the events. Allow me to lay my cards on the table, because I need your help.”
The coffee was beginning to come out of the spout and into a cup. He arranged the fixings to go with it. “Cream or sweetener?”
“Black and straight.”
That caused the corners of his lips to rise. “A woman after my own heart.”
He fixed them both cups and returned to the seats they’d occupied last night. “His Highness called me late with the news. He’s offered me my family’s reputation for my support. All charges against Wallace dropped and he implied he would put him in charge of Fleet.”
It took all her willpower to sip her coffee without spilling a drop. It was excellent.
“I see. And you accepted?”
“I did, but I have no intention of actually enabling him. For a number of very good reasons, starting with the main one. I think he poisoned his father and is framing your fiancé and Princess Kelsey. I cannot and will not support this, even if defying him means the ruin of my reputation.”
He smiled at her over the rim of his cup. “You hide it well, but I think I’ve surprised you. You wonder why someone in politics for the power would cast it away. I could be the right hand of the Throne itself.”
She shrugged. “I’m curious, but I suspect you’ll tell me soon enough.”
“As with most things, it’s complicated. I truly do value
my personal honor and that of my family. That only occasionally has anything to do with what others think of me.
“A pre-Empire novelist called Lois McMaster Bujold from Terra said it like this. ‘Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.’ The two can be wildly at odds. Jubilant throngs might cheer a man while inside he’s torn to shreds. Or reviled for doing what’s right.”
Breckenridge set his cup onto the saucer. “I’m prepared to embrace the latter to save the Empire. And that’s exactly what’s at stake. Wallace is incompetent and Prince Ethan is an ambitious fool. Together, they would be the death of us all.”
Elise put her cup down and stared him in the eye. “That couldn’t be plainer. I’m sorry he put you in such a quandary.”
The man laughed bitterly. “You have no idea the minefield I had to navigate last night. His Highness dropped another bombshell on me. He told me his sister informed him they were both illegitimate. He apparently confirmed it.”
She tilted her head a little. “Awkward, but troublesome in what way? He’s already the confirmed heir. Is that likely to change?”
Breckenridge shook his head. “No. He’ll remain the heir. The problem for me is that I’m virtually certain I’m his father.”
That hit her like an unexpected bucket of ice water. “That is remarkable, if true. You had an affair with the empress at around that time?”
“I did. One that she ended abruptly a few weeks before the official announcement that she was with child. At the time, I assumed she was cutting things off because of the added attention she knew was coming. Now that I know the emperor is not their father, I’d bet everything I hold dear that they’re mine.”
He rubbed his face. “And no matter how this plays out, one of them will probably die. Or spend the rest of their life in prison. The die is cast, Princess. I must pick a side. Though it will ruin me politically, I choose the Empire.”