And now, for the first time in many years, the Orange House had captured a Brotherhood of the Stars cruiser, and the captain and navigator were on board. It was a trophy that had value in itself. I was already informed that this century-and-a-half-old model of heavy cruiser had huge modernization potential. After being fully upgraded and refitted with weapons, it could become a true pearl of the fleet. But what made this cruiser especially valuable was that it was potentially able to jump to the Hnelle system, which was otherwise unreachable. And I was going to figure out exactly how it did that.
* * *
More than three hundred former Payoff crewmembers accepted amnesty in return for signing a five-year contract with Himora. I received full approval from the station leadership. Fresh blood and working hands were in high demand on the remote space station. Even the fact that it was a contingent made up of people who were recently working as pirates didn't seem to really bother the inhabitants. The locals were prepared to accept even more infamous villains, because they had experience in retraining new settlers and keeping them in line with harsh methods.
There were around twenty people left in the prison chambers of the former pirate cruiser. The captain, the officers and a few others who had chosen not to accept forced labor at Himora. The Orange House team guarding the Payoff guaranteed we could get the ship to Tesse, where we would be able to fill the crew out. At exactly seven P.M. general time, my fleet, composed of one heavy and two light cruisers, four destroyers and ten frigates, left through the warp tunnel to Tesse. As the ship was entering warp, I received the following game message:
Standing change. The Green House’s opinion of you has worsened.
Present Green House faction opinion of you: -11 (mistrusting)
Standing change. The Green House's opinion of the Orange House has worsened.
Present Green House faction opinion of Orange House: -4 (indifferent)
Captain Oorast Pohl, who was standing not far from me, screwed up his face and commented on the worsening relationship between the Great Houses:
"We can't have captured all the Green House spies. The news about the agents' execution must have been sent immediately."
The captain, seeing the lack of understanding on my face, explained:
"The prisoners sentenced to death were on the Payoff in isolation chambers."
The warp drive turning on was always accompanied by a colossal blast of energy. Also, for a few microseconds the temperature would go up to five thousand degrees. A momentary, painless death.
Brother Dear
I was fairly well prepared for the meeting with Georg's brother. I had studied all the background information on Crown Prince Roben royl Inoky ton Mesfelle, and so I wasn't at even a slight risk of being uncovered. Other close relatives might get a bit suspicious, but not Roben. He lived the playboy lifestyle. For the past quarter century he had concerned himself exclusively with gladiator fights, blowing any and all remittances he got from our father as well as all the income from the rich planet Tesse-III on the best fighters in the whole galaxy. It was Roben who had been behind the Galaxy’s largest money transfers in recent years, and his gladiator team, the “Tesse Assassins,” had been the unchallenged Imperial champion for the last four years in a row. He played that kind of character. A deep-pocketed playboy. The player himself probably had a similar nature, as a more responsible person wouldn't be interested in acting that way.
Being the sovereign leader of the planet Tesse-III, with its six-million-strong population and developed industrial capacity, Roben was fabulously wealthy. Even he didn't know the exact size of his demesne, as he had fully entrusted all financial issues and the administration of the star system to authorized representatives. My older brother wanted nothing to do with politics. He would only show his face in the Throne World at obligatory events or at the finale of huge gladiator tournaments. The Tesse star fleet was an object of well-deserved pride for Roben and was made up of two battleships and more than forty cruisers of various types. Formally, the Tesse fleet was part of the Orange House forces but, in fact, after a conflict with the head of the Orange House, Duke Paolo royl Anjer ton Mesfelle, it had spent the last few years in Tesse, keeping guard.
Roben received me and Lika in his flying palace. It should be said that the photos I saw hadn't given me the full picture on my brother's dimensions. I wasn't thin myself, quite the opposite in fact. But, compared to my immeasurable older brother, I looked like a matchstick.
Roben royl Inoky ton Mesfelle, Crown Prince of the Empire, ruler of the planet Tesse-III
Age: 52
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Relation to you: Your brother
Class: Aristocrat
Achievements: None
Fame: +5
Reputation: - 4
Presumed personal relationship: +55 (loyal)
"Georg!" exclaimed my brother, his layers of fat billowing in a way that not even loose clothing could cover up. He hurled his 450-pound bulk in my direction.
"Roben!" I responded, opening my arms for a hug and running out to meet him.
Bammm! Just as Newton’s First Law would’ve predicted, I was sent flying a few yards back. I couldn't recover from the imbalance and ended up falling on my back.
"Look at you, brother dear! You're losing weight!" cracked my older brother in good spirits, grabbing my hand to help me up.
"Uncle Roben!" Lika yelped out joyfully, as she jumped up to hang off his shoulders.
"Lika! My dear niece! You've finally come to visit!" exclaimed Roben, as he picked her up. Compared to his huge figure, Likanna seemed like a little bug. "And, just like I promised last time, I built a castle especially for your arrival. It's just two hundred fifty miles from the capital. It has eight towers and about a hundred rooms. We filled it with all the toys we could find on Tesse. There's a quiet bay next to the castle, and it already has a mooring where your personal yacht is waiting for you. When you grow up, my niece, you'll be able to take boys you like out on the ocean."
The girl's joyful shout popped my ears.
"She just loves you," I told my brother, as he basked in satisfaction at the effect his gift had had on his little guest.
"All kids love me," chuckled the huge Roben, carefully putting the child back down as he pointed at a group of youngsters playing on the lawn. They were a group of normal, carefree boys and girls having fun: flying a kite, throwing a ball... Not all of them were playing though. For some reason, my eye was caught by an eight-year-old girl with dark blond hair in a short frock. There was something not right about her. I didn't figure out right away what it was exactly about that kid that made her stand out, but then I noticed. Most of the kids were running around the flower beds barefoot, but she was still wearing her boots. So what? She didn't take her shoes off, OK... But then I figured out what was really putting me on alert. The girl was just pretending to frolic in the grass chasing after butterflies. Her facial expression was staying inappropriately serious the whole time, as a matter of fact. Then the girl… no, no. Yep, she turned toward me. Really weird. I read the information about her character.
Millena Mayer
Age: 8
Race: Human
Gender: Female
Class: Mystic
Achievements: None
Fame: 0
Reputation: 0
Presumed personal opinion of you: Unknown
She was a mystic at such a young age??? I wondered if the Emperor had included this dark-blond girl in the list of people allowed to take narcotic crystals just for her abilities. We walked slowly along the little alley that wound fantastically among the bushes and bright blue flowers. Little herds of kids were running all around, and Lika joined them, but the strange girl was walking in parallel with our path, staying close by the whole time. The conversation wasn't about anything important, and at some point I inquired about the health of my brother's wife and young son just to be polite.
"Verena
was preparing to meet you, but since this morning she hasn't been feeling too well..." started Roben, but I immediately guessed that he was lying due to his change in tone and carefully thought-out words.
He also figured out that I knew. My older brother took a deep sigh and admitted:
"Who am I trying to lie to here?! In fact, you know quite well what Verena thinks about your choice of women."
Somehow, I knew right away that my older brother was not talking about Princess Marta just then.
"It is because I know what your wife thinks that I did not bring Miya with me this time." I didn't know why she had such a strong dislike for Miya, but I wasn't going to upset a young, nursing mother.
"Well, you must agree that Miya was acting quite strangely that one time. Then the complications with her pregnancy coincided with that, as it were... It was just Verena spooking herself up."
"I'll repeat again. Miya isn't here, and she wouldn't make a move without my permission. And I have never harbored any ill will for you, much less for your wife or son. You can even call your own Truth Seeker and check my words," I said, before turning and pointing at the approaching girl who was clearly listening in on our conversation.
Apparently I had guessed correctly about this kid's abilities, as the sovereign of the planet stopped sharply and also turned to Millena Mayer. She was standing five steps from us waiting for my brother's word, but the Crown Prince was hesitating. I understood his doubts. Checking someone's words like that was considered grossly indecent.
"Don't worry, Roben. It's OK. She can check. I'd do anything to get rid of this unspoken suspicion that has been poisoning my life as well as that of your wife."
The fat man waved his hand, and the girl with a thin braid walked up closer. I had read about Truth Seekers when I was looking for information on the mysterious Miya. So, I stretched out my hand with my palm facing up and proclaimed clearly:
"Neither I nor my companion Miya are party to the complications that arose during the birth of my nephew."
She put her palm on top of mine, and it felt like being electrocuted. I felt the full spectrum of emotions from the little Truth Seeker, the strongest of which was fear.
"She's devastatingly afraid of me!" I remarked with a fair amount of surprise.
"She's never had the chance to check a mystic before. And your personal Truth Seeker has quite a singular reputation. That kind of thing can scare a kid. Well, Millena? What do you see?"
"This person's conscience is totally clear, my Lord. He is withholding nothing. Your brother is speaking the truth. He's never thought anything but nice thoughts towards you and your family. And he is not aware of anyone else, including the Truth Seeker by the name of Miya, having wanted to bring harm to your family either."
"I already knew that. I didn't have to check," said Roben, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "My apologies, brother dear, it was quite foolish of course."
Standing change. Roben royl Inoky's opinion of you has improved.
Presumed personal opinion of you: +70 (trusting)
I answered in kind so we could put that ugly episode behind us once and for all.
* * *
"Believe me, I understand your problems, Georg, but I can't give you any ships."
My brother and I were in a green pavilion on the edge of a precipice. The flying palace slowly drifted above a dark blue sea, taking us in the direction of my daughter's new castle. Next to us on the table was a whole load of platters filled with any and all kinds of food you could imagine. A barrel of ancient wine was towering over us from the center of the table. Apparently, Roben wasn't planning on going anywhere until the whole eight-gallon barrel was dry.
"W-why not?" I pleaded, my tongue letting me down slightly. Nevertheless, my conscious remained clear, and I didn't lose the thread of the conversation.
"Because I promised. To my Duke. He's your Duke as well, by the way. And I'm still paying more taxes to the Orange House treasury than anyone else. I also want to be sure that Tesse won't be left unguarded. Geeze, the cursing and foot stomping Paolo can do... Just to think, he even insulted me!"
"It cannot be!"
"It is, brother! Duke Paolo royl Anjer insulted me with the vilest of words. And then I made him a promise that the fleet of Tesse would be staying here. And I am a man of my word, so I cannot give you any ships from my fleet."
"And what about ships not from the Tesse fleet? The shipyards in this planet's orbital belt are so big that any size ship could fit. Is there anything in stock that was built recently?"
My brother waved it off:
"There are no production facilities here. We've got repair docks, transfer bases, and the biggest storage facilities in the whole of Sector Eight. This is where the main path from the center of the Empire to the Orange House is, after all. Huge transport starships unload on Tesse all the time. There are docks, but it's been a long time since anything bigger than a frigate's been built at them."
"In that case, I am prepared to purchase all the frigates you've got!" I declared.
The fat man clapped his palms together and, as if from underground, a small man in old-fashioned livery appeared next to the table.
"I need a list of every finished combat ship built at the shipyards."
Not even a minute later, a flat screen appeared, hovering in midair right above the dining table. I studied the none-too-rich offerings. Eight Pyros and four of the more modern Warhawk frigates. The Pyros had a two-hundred-thousand-credit price tag, and the Warhawks were three hundred fifty thousand.
"I'll buy all these frigates!" I declared.
"My Prince, may I remind you that these Warhawks are already contracted to the Kingdom of Fastel?" asked Prince Roben's assistant.
"Screw it! We'll build more and pay whatever penalties needed for failure to meet delivery date. Georg needs them more."
I transferred the money as fast as I could and in contemplation I said:
"It's a bit better, but my forces are still pretty weak. Are you sure you can't give up one cruiser?"
The servant, having already turned off the screen before leaving, stopped and said with a bow:
"Your Highnesses, forgive me for interfering in your conversation, but three heavy assault cruisers are nearly finished being built at the military shipyards of the Second Citadel. Literally two days ago, they sent us an offer to sell because there had been a disagreement on price with the initial customer."
"Do you have more complete information? What kinds of cruisers?" I scrambled, given that the topic was very, very relevant.
I had already thought up a few tactics for fighting alien ships on my own, but to actually pull any of them off, my fleet would need heavy-class ships. If I couldn't get heavy cruisers, I could forget about battles and victories, and my mission in the game would end in failure.
The servant opened the monitor back up and displayed a full report. Three Katana heavy assault cruisers. They were built after an order from an Orange House trading company without a down payment. The plan was to flip them. During construction, there were changes in the state of affairs on the heavy metals market, and the cost of building the ships went up, so the buyer changed his mind. They are more than 95% completed, and they could be finished twenty days after receipt of payment." They were cutting-edge cruisers: a powerful force in the right hands. However, the price tag stung a bit. The shipyards were offering either the individual cruisers for eighty million credits each or all three wholesale for two hundred ten million.
"What do you say?" wondered Roben, lazily slurping wine from his high-walled glass. I had no choice but to admit that I didn't have the funds.
"Stop crying poor, brother dear. You've got Tialla, which brings you almost no benefit. When was the last time you even visited that little planetoid? Five years ago? Or was it ten? Think for yourself: why do you need that settlement on the outskirts of the universe? You have no son to be your heir, and your daughter, the Crown Princess, is already provided for. Are you k
eeping it around for the pittance of an income it provides? How about I buy it off you for an OK price? The amount I'll pay you in one lump sum you wouldn't even get from Tialla in ten years! I have a son, and he'll need a holding to keep his title."
It was a tempting offer, but I still refused. Roben started proposing other ways of getting the money:
"Your yacht is full of chachkes, and you've still got the right of inheritance to think about. There are many who would pay you to give up your right to the throne, both of the Orange House and the Empire. So, think about it, brother dear. After that trouble you stirred up with the Green House, don't even hope they'll forgive you. I'm sure they've gathered all the muck there is on you and will be taking it to the Throne World soon. I'd put up my best gladiator against a red flier that any day now you should expect to get your ass chewed out by the Emperor."
My older brother’s ideas were very convincing. His words were also adding to a strange but strong sense that hadn't left me since my first day in the game: I needed to beef up my fleet post haste! The only question was whose money to do it on. Where could I get the money? I wasn't going to give up my right to power, I had no idea what Queen of Sin was even approximately worth and also I still needed it. I wondered aloud about the price of Tialla.
Sector Eight (Perimeter Defense: Book #1) Page 12