New Empires: Conglomerate Series Book 3

by William Frisbee

“Eighteen minutes,” Duncan said loud enough for Luke to hear.

  “Freaking droids,” Luke muttered as he peeled off his battle armor so he could take a quick shower.

  Minutes later, Luke came into the main room. He had several minutes to spare.

  Musashi was there looking around.

  “I think pictures, or the simulated heads of your enemies mounted on the wall would liven the place up,” Musashi said.

  “Mounting the heads of sentients is frowned upon in polite society,” Luke said glaring at Musashi.

  Musashi didn’t notice the glare or Luke’s tone of voice.

  “Good thing you don’t play in those circles,” Musashi said. “Jangol’s head would look nice next to your bedroom door. Maybe with a pulse rifle above it?”

  “I don’t think so,” Luke said glancing at the door, glad she wasn’t early. Perhaps she would call it off. It had been a long day, and she was likely tired. That would probably be best.

  Musashi shrugged.

  “I will have to work on my artwork then,” Musashi said. “A stick figure of you cutting off a Bronkaw head would help break up the pattern of the wall. Properly done it would not interfere too much with the active camouflage of your battle dress.”

  “No thanks,” Luke said with a glance at Duncan.

  Musashi nodded as if Luke had agreed with him.

  The door buzzed and Luke paused as stared at it. His knees felt weak, and he wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. What if he screwed it up with Leonessa? He wasn’t ready for this dammit.

  Musashi beat him to the door, and the door slid open to reveal Leonessa and Lagertha.

  “Hello!” Musashi said. “Can I take your rifles?”

  Luke stepped up and saw they didn’t have rifles. Just standard side arms.

  Leonessa ignored Musashi as she looked at Luke.

  “Hello Admiral,” she said, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

  Luke’s heart fell. ‘Admiral,’ how formal and distant.

  “Can you call me Luke?” Luke asked and earning a full smile from her.

  “Thank you, Luke,” she said as Luke stepped aside to let her in. Musashi didn’t move as he looked them over.

  “You didn’t bring rifles?” Musashi asked looking around, as if they had set them against the wall outside.

  “Thank you Musashi,” Luke said. “You are dismissed.”

  “Get out of here metal head before I have you decommissioned,” Luke sent privately.

  Musashi looked at Luke, smiled and stepped aside. When Leonessa was in he stepped out with Lagertha and the door slid shut.

  “He needs to mellow out,” Leonessa said.

  Luke smiled, “I’m not sure how to arrange that.”

  Leonessa laughed.

  “Musashi is not the only one,” Duncan muttered, almost inaudibly as he stepped forward.

  “Have a seat,” Duncan said. “Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes.”

  “What do you think this will mean?” Leonessa asked as soon as she and Luke were seated.

  “What?” Luke asked.

  “The fall of the Conglomerate?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” Luke said. “But until we know, I think the best policy is to act as if this is temporary, the Tal still exist and Ubashi is just incommunicado. We need to maintain the peace. It is what the Topa always strove for and they aren’t all gone. I’m sure there are other Tal forces.”

  Leonessa nodded and Luke saw fear there, the tightness in her shoulders the near imperceptible squint in her eyes.

  “The Tigress is the most impressive ship I’ve seen,” Luke said. “Nothing short of a Tal Battleship can take her on and with the Tal gone this may be the most dangerous ship in all of Conglomerate space. This ship is mine.”

  Luke fell silent, realizing how it sounded like he was bragging and not sure where he was going with it.

  “So now we help the Bronkaw with the border problem and then return to New Alamo?” Leonessa asked.

  Luke paused, trying to figure out where she was going. Something had changed. She was now a New Alamo citizen and officer. Lots had changed he realized, but what did it mean to her?

  “Yes,” Luke said, hoping he was right. Squadrons of butterflies were dogfighting in his stomach. “But, I’m tired of being alone.”

  Leonessa remained silent, staring at him, Luke didn’t see her breathing, she was frozen. Wanting him to continue, afraid he had gone to far?

  “I would ask that you join me,” Luke said. Was this the right thing right now? Was he moving to fast? “I need good people at my side, and,”

  Luke didn’t know what to say as he ran out of words. He wanted her by his side, but not as a fellow officer, or a subordinate, nor could he promote her. He knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t give up her career either.

  “And?” Leonessa prompted but Luke didn’t know what to say. He knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t want to be a kept woman. She would have to be involved, a member of the crew, a member of a team.

  “And I don’t know,” Luke said, cursing himself for being a coward. “I know I want you there,” he added trying to recover.

  “I can’t ask you to give up your career and I don’t know how to keep you on this ship near me,” Luke finally finished.

  Leonessa smiled and Luke noticed her breathing again. He could feel the sadness though. He had said something wrong, he was sure of it.

  “I’m usually not into older men,” Leonessa said with a mischievous smile. “You are what? A hundred years older than me?”

  Luke lost his smile. It was true.

  “But I really like you,” Leonessa said, recovering some of Luke’s hope.

  “No rush,” Luke said, giving her an out if she needed to think about it. He didn’t want to move fast or rush it although he would hear from Brita or Musashi about it later.

  Leonessa smiled.

  “Dinner time,” Duncan said before the silence got too awkward.

  Luke knew he would have to move slower until he could understand what she wanted. He might have to ask Brita.

  They both sat down in the dining room, which looked just as boring as the other rooms. As clean as an operating room and without character. Duncan brought in the food from the kitchenette.

  “Morals is pissed,” Leonessa said with a smile.

  “Good,” Luke said. “He is getting on my nerves.”

  Leonessa took a deep breath and that alarmed Luke. He sensed she was about to deliver bad news.

  “He was trying to get me to sleep with you to get you more compliant and amendable to the Jupiter Alliance,” Leonessa said quickly.

  Luke scowled.

  “That worthless immoral prick,” Luke said and then looked at her more closely.

  “Why didn’t you?” he asked and realized that might be the wrong thing to ask.

  Leonessa was silent for several moments.

  “Because if I do,” she said staring into Luke’s eyes. “It will be on my terms. As an equal, I won’t be a kept woman.”

  “It won’t take me long to get busted back to Captain if I make an effort,” Luke said with a half-smile. “That would be quicker than you getting promoted to admiral.”

  Leonessa laughed and Luke relaxed, glad he hadn’t misjudged that.

  “But then we will probably be on different ships,” Leonessa said and Luke sighed. There were no easy answers.

  “Keep your rank,” Luke said. “I wouldn’t mind being a junior officer. It will be fun to get busted back down. This admiral crap is for politicians and glory hounds.”

  Leonessa smiled, but there was sadness there.

  “How about this,” Luke said. “I’ll make you flag Captain. You are responsible for the ship and I am responsible for the fleet. We will each be the rulers of our realm. Would that work?”

  Leonessa’s smile was more genuine this time.

  “I couldn’t do that to Brita,” she said and Luke nodded.

  “I
’ll think of something,” Luke said. She hadn’t said no.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The Audience

  The door opened and Luke looked at the Bronkaw honor guard standing ready. It took an active effort not to back up and draw his sidearm. The fierce Bronkaw warriors glared at everything but the door he was coming out of. When he appeared, they turned their back on him and faced outward. There were twenty of the massive behemoths, armed with plasma rifles, rail guns and assorted other weapons Luke wasn’t sure of. There were main battle tanks with lighter armor and weapons.

  Luke’s InnerBuddy was a small consolation as it told him this was an honor guard. The armor pattern showed they were the Grand Marshal’s Praetorian guard. Some of the most elite fighters in the Bronkaw empire. Warriors who had demonstrated their skill on the field of battle. If their fierce visage was locked on him, it would have been a bad sign. Their focus on the rest of the room indicated the honor they were bestowing up on him. It was hard not to consider the implications they were faking, but his InnerBuddy assured him they would not fake something like this.

  A large, well armored Bronkaw approached Luke. The enormous theropod thrust his chin up to the sky, a sign of submission because he was exposing his throat and vulnerability to Luke.

  “We are honored,” the Bronkaw functionary said, tilting his head to look at Luke without hiding his vulnerability.

  Luke slammed his fist into his chest, the Bronkaw signal for no further action will be taken, allowing the functionary to lower his chin and eyes.

  Without his InnerBuddy prompting him and the rapid integration with his thoughts Luke could imagine several protocol related errors he could have made by now, like staring at the honor guard instead of the surrounding room, or backing up when they weren’t looking at him. Topa Suresh had done him a favor giving Luke this ability, and Luke wondered what else the Topa knew Luke didn’t. Had Topa Suresh known Luke would find himself here?

  “The Grand Marshal is awaiting your convenience,” the functionary said loudly, Luke did his best not to shudder or hold his ears.

  “His time is important,” Luke yelled back in the stammering chainsaw language of the Bronkaw. “I do not wish to keep him waiting.”

  Without a word, the functionary turned and walked away. Luke glanced back at Leonessa, Brita, Shum, Bruce and Musashi before starting after the fast-moving behemoth.

  Luke held his smile as they scrambled to keep up with the functionary. The Bronkaw were huge and while they didn’t take many steps, they took large ones and were deceptively fast. The humans settled into a steady jog as the Bronkaw warriors, turned as one and followed Luke and the functionary who had not yet identified himself.

  Out of the corner of his eyes Luke observed the Bronkaw guards. They didn’t march in step, nor did they seem to have much uniformity except the dark purple and the make of their armor, but they looked fierce and ready for anything as their eyes scanned around them. His InnerBuddy didn’t provide any other details other than weapon types or how those weapons would pierce his armor. While he was behind them he was under their protection, even against their liege, in theory. How many betrayals had there been in Bronkaw history?

  The hatch slid open revealing a large room with a view of Bronkaw Prime wrapped around them. There were no chairs or other furniture. Just three massive Bronkaw staring at the window or view-screen. The functionary and guards remained outside as Luke and his companions entered. There was no throne, no drinks, just an empty room looking at Bronkaw Prime.

  The largest Bronkaw was standing with his back to Luke, staring out at the home world spread out below him. The other two Bronkaw stared at the large one, not acknowledging Luke’s entrance. It was a sign of respect among the Bronkaw to not turn to a newcomer. A pop-up in Luke’s InnerBuddy screen stated this was because a Bronkaw would turn to face a threat, or it was an acknowledgment that trusted people were the only ones present in his home.

  Luke watched the large Bronkaw watching him through the reflection of the glass. The ornate armor and the touching fists emblem on the Bronkaw’s shoulder showed this was the Grand Marshal. In person, the Grand Marshall was bigger and more intimidating than his holograms and he was the largest Bronkaw Luke had seen, towering over the others by almost a head’s height.

  Stopping several paces away Luke stopped and waited, Leonessa, Shum and Brita standing beside and behind him while Musashi put his back to Luke, watching the door they had entered. It was interesting they had not demanded he and his companions be disarmed, but then perhaps the Bronkaw did not fear his smaller weapons?

  Finally, after a polite amount of time, the Grand Marshal turned to Luke. He looked much younger than Luke expected. His InnerBuddy reported the Grand Marshal was three hundred and fifteen earth years old where the average life span of an unmodified Bronkaw was about eighty Earth years. So, the Grand Marshal used technology to keep him youthful and alive. Not too many Conglomerate races did, just the younger, ambitious, ones.

  The eyes of Vakasa fell upon Luke.

  “You are a lot smaller than I expected,” Vakasa said looking Luke up and down. “Not very intimidating.”

  “And you appear much younger,” Luke replied. “Almost like a child.”

  The ghost of a smile played across Vakasa’s face and Luke saw Vakasa’s age in his eyes. The eyes looked old and tired.

  “From hated enemy to savior,” Vakasa said staring down at Luke. “Your accomplishments and actions do not match your size.”

  Luke shrugged. His InnerBuddy wasn’t helping with a response.

  “I have been asked by Topa Suresh to petition you and represent the Topa in the matter you have requested assistance with,” Luke said.

  “I requested a Tal battle fleet,” Vakasa said and his eyes fell upon Shum. “I called upon the Topa to provide the protection that Conglomerate association speaks of.”

  “Topa Suresh sent me,” Luke said.

  A low growl came from the Grand Marshal and the eyes of the other two Bronkaw flickered from their Grand Marshal to Luke and back.

  “You are not Tal,” Vakasa said turning his gaze from Shum to Luke.

  “The Tal have already fled the system,” Luke said. “They could not protect the Nalee or Bronkaw Prime.”

  Vakasa bared his teeth.

  “But you have done so,” Vakasa said. “You have not failed me where the Tal have.”

  “Topa Suresh sent me to assist you,” Luke said.

  “I need fleets,” Vakasa said and his eyes narrowed and even with his InnerBuddy Luke couldn’t figure out what was going through the alien’s head. “But now all I have is you. The Tal are dead. The Topa are helpless. The enemy was on the bridge, ready for victory but you stopped them and hurled them back into oblivion. With the Topa weak, the Conglomerate is broken, the laws of the Topa have no strength without the Tal to enforce them. Now there is nothing to keep the Dominance from wiping out the Caleet thieves or occupying the Nalee builder ship and forcing them to build more ships.”

  Vakasa stared at Luke and Luke remained silent, trying to think of some response. This wasn’t going as planned but Luke didn’t like what the Grand Marshal was saying. Luke looked at the theropod. He could end one threat here and now, but would others believe as the Grand Marshal did.

  “I came here to help the Bronkaw deal with their problem,” Luke said taking a step closer to Vakasa, hopefully it would be threatening like a mouse advancing on an elephant. “But if the Bronkaw become a problem, then I will deal with that.”

  The massive Bronkaw’s eyes widened in surprise and he bared his teeth.

  “You dare threaten me?” Vakasa said.

  “Have you been paying attention?” Luke asked staring up at the dinosaur. Luke couldn’t think of what else to do. He felt like a gerbil threatening to chase a tiger, but he couldn’t back down or allow the Grand Marshal to see any fear.

  Vakasa’s eyes narrowed in thought as he stared down at Luke. Slowly the Grand Marshal closed his m
outh, concealing the wicked looking teeth. The Grand Marshal was likely enhanced, but was he fast enough to keep Luke from drawing his side arm and placing several plasma rounds in the Grand Marshal’s unarmored head?

  “I came here to help the Bronkaw, to save them from extinction, but not at the expense of others,” Luke said, without yelling, hopefully forcing the Bronkaw to listen more carefully. “I have killed Bronkaw in the past and I have saved them. I am fighting for something bigger than just one species. If you will not be part of the solution, then I will let your enemies eat you. Now, more than ever, you need the help of others. You need the Nalee helping you to build ship, slaves are not the most helpful, even the Caleet can help, unless you are too damned stupid to realize it. Your failures prove you cannot stand alone.”

  The eyes of the other two Bronkaw fell upon Luke and their hands clenched in fists. Luke saw they were ready to surge forward and crush him if their Grand Marshall ordered it. Luke would have felt more prepared if they weren’t so damned big.

  “The Topa have abandoned us,” Vakasa said and Luke couldn’t read his voice or thoughts.

  “The Topa sent me,” Luke said. “I will not fight all your battles for you, but I will help. Together we will be victorious.”

  “In exchange for what?” Vakasa said. “The Conglomerate is dead or dying. It can offer us nothing, and there is nothing we can offer you.”

  “We can build new empires,” Luke said. “Built on trust and mutual respect. None of us is as strong as all of us. The Pral have shown us how to work together and not with force, but with law and respect.”

  “Do humans have fleets to lend us?” Vakasa asked.

  “Few,” Luke said. “And they are far away.”

  “Will they help?” Vakasa asked. “The Vress are too fast, to vicious. We have several colonies in dark systems that need to be rescued cannot even make contact with them because of the Vress. The Vress are faster and easily out maneuver us. We out gun them but they will not stand still against our weapons.”

  “Humans have our own problems,” Luke said. “We face a civil war with our own kind.”