The Imperialists: The Complete Trilogy

by H. T. Kofruk

  Nobody noticed when the transporter finally came to a full standstill. None of them were conscious when the pressure hatch silently opened and two figures entered.

  Chapter 26: Liberator

  ‘The Afrikan Republic is perhaps the most exemplary super-state in terms of political empowerment, human rights, and so forth. The biggest problem with Afrika is its economic stagnation; given that most of inter-planetary trade is conducted through Afrikan trade ships, economic growth has remained stubbornly low for almost a century. Most enterprising young Afrikans leave for outer-space, usually on one of the giant factory vessels. The lack of opportunities back home has increased the attractiveness of aspiring to become a trade-ship captain, first of small transport ships, then of mid-sized freight vessels and perhaps one day, a factory ship. The Republic's neutrality in most affairs has left the other empires cynical of its values, its problems and its proposals to Renden affairs.’ - Terry Southend, , year 2916

  Qin was at least able to keep the dignity of having all his limbs free when he was led to the Orca transporter. The carbons strands had cut deep enough to scrape the bones in his wrist yet he accepted only the mildest medical treatment. He wanted to keep his scars as a symbol.

  He hadn’t seen Geraldine for the last few days; he supposed that she felt betrayed. And why wouldn’t she? He had lied to her just as he had lied to Erika. Using self-hypnosis, he could make perjury so easy and natural that he sometimes genuinely believed his own lies. Had his own words of love to his two daughters also been lies? He couldn’t be sure. His grief and sense of loss seemed genuine enough but the part of his brain that controlled his emotions couldn’t be trusted.

  The pulse glider slowed down. When the door opened he was surprised to see Han Fann staring at him. Without even being aware, he clenched his fists and coiled his leg muscles. Hatred, like any useful skill, could be trained and hardened.

  “Captain Qin” said Fann flatly.

  The Shadow released the tension in his body and tried to look at the princeling in the eyes. Did he remember their brief encounter when he had been thirteen years old and the prince four? Their late fathers had been life-long friends and the young Qin, already with eight years of Shadow training under his belt, had had the honour of dining at the Heavenly Tower on the very first day of his very first leave from training. Prince Fann had been a chubby, quiet toddler while the Crown Prince Xiao had been noisy and possessive of his Empress mother.

  Han Xiao had turned his head into his mother’s chest when the humble young son of Uncle Qin bowed to him. Fann had, to the surprise of everyone, smiled and touched his face when he did the same. How he had been pleased!

  He saw the same smiling boy in the man standing in front of him. Moreover, the former prince held out his hand to him, much as he had done so to touch his face as a toddler. Had his father truly loved the young man? A spike of jealousy stuck in his heart. He should have been the subject of his father’s love, not the privileged prince.

  Qin took the hand offered to him. As soon as he did, Fann embraced him fiercely. It was a somewhat perfunctory gesture of affection but it nearly brought tears to his eyes. He felt his bitterness and anger melting away. Did he not know that he had tried to kill him?

  When Fann finally pulled away, Qin was surprised to see his eyes shiny with tears. “Your father saved my life. I am forever indebted to him and now to you. When we win our home back, we’ll set up a proper funeral for him.”

  Qin’s mind went blank. He had never imagined their encounter to be like this. Was the spoiled brat of a prince really a bigger, better man than himself? He had trouble sweeping away the dark mist of regret that threatened to cover his mind. Had he pretended all those years to be a man of principle, a fighter for the good of Great China when, in fact, he had been small and petty? The thought terrified him.

  Fann didn’t wait for a reaction and instead, made way for him. Qin walked gratefully away. The dark, brooding figure of Bongani stopped him. Qin had heard of the exploits of the former smuggler who had somehow managed to become the highest ranking officer of the United Terra navy. He didn’t flinch at the Afrikan’s glare.

  “Admiral” said Qin with a smile at the corner of his mouth. He knew he no longer had reason to manipulate the emotions of others but old habits die hard.

  “I don’t even like Fann but he somehow convinced me of this mission. If you decide to follow another agenda, I will hunt you to the end of the universe and ram my fist up your arse. Is that understood?”

  Qin nodded his head as he maintained his infuriating smile. “I’m not really of sort who enjoys that kind of pleasure, admiral. But I’m sure I can find a young hairless boy for you from Diqiu Two.”

  Bongani grabbed his wrist with a vice-grip. Qin struggled to keep his reflexes in check. He knew that the larger man wouldn’t be an easy kill if it came to it. “Don’t fuck with me, Shadow. You may be some kind of daunting assassin to everyone else, but all I see is an insecure, lonely little man with daddy issues.

  Qin thought about killing the man right there. A myriad of estimations, calculations and predictions went through his brain as he searched for the ideal way to end the life of the man who dared threaten him. Bongani obviously sensed Qin’s motivations and he clenched even tighter his wrist. The barely-healed scars from the carbon strands stung him. Just from the way Bongani stood, the way he clenched his hands, the movements of his eyes, Qin could tell what kind of defensive move he was planning. The greatest assassin of his time could clearly see through everything.

  “Yes, sir” he replied finally.

  The icy atmosphere started to thaw as the large admiral released his double agent. He became aware of two more people near them. One of them was the female Phantom who had come to his interrogation. She was staring at him with cold professionalism. He still felt like strangling her when he thought about the holograph of the two charred bodies.

  The other one was Geraldine. As soon as their eyes met, he felt a jolt of warm sadness. He lowered his eyes and stared at the floor. The crane-shaped vessel was waiting for him beyond her. As he walked by her without saying a word, he had the strong sensation that her stare was boring a hole into his back. Just as he began to climb the ramp into the ‘chest’ of the crane, he heard her walking towards him.

  “Qin Huei” she called. He turned his head to show the side of his face not daring to look her in the eyes. “It feels strange calling you like that. I liked ‘Derek’. Come back in one piece.”

  He climbed inside and closed the pressure ramp without saying a word.

  Minister Bo was having lunch with his beloved wife, Empress Han Wei, when a Shadow silently approached and whispered in his ear. He waved him away and looked into his wife’s inquiring eyes. He pretended not to notice the question mark that hung between the two and picked up a piece of roasted fish with his chopsticks.

  “Is something wrong, my husband?” she said.

  “Nothing whatsoever, my flower. Running an empire for you is no easy task. I’m afraid I may have to vacate the table earlier than expected.”

  He stood and walked away through the massive pearl-rock room. Four Shadows, each of them hand-picked, materialised behind him. Wei looked at the female Shadow standing next to her, Lieutenant Ma Liang. As soon as they were alone, the young woman took off her black metal mask and sat next to the empress.

  “Did it work, Your Highness?” she said.

  Wei nodded her head. “I’m having my period.”

  Lieutenant Ma exhaled from relief. “How long do you think you can keep this up? If he knows you’re denying him an heir on purpose, he’ll have you hooked up to a device just to get you fertile and pregnant.”

  The image made Wei shudder. “You don’t have to be so…”

  The Shadow bowed her head. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I didn’t mean to be…”

  “I told you to stop calling me that when we’re alone. Call me ‘Wei’.”

  Ma paused as
if she was wondering what to do. “I’m sorry, Wei” she said at last. “I lack social skills.”

  Wei took her hand. “It’s alright. I don’t know what I would have done without you. But what if you get caught? If he knew that one of his own was plotting against him, he’d kill you.”

  “I’m not afraid of him.”

  Wei knew that Ma really was fearless and she admired the quality. But Bo was the most frightening man she had ever known. Why was Ma helping her? Why was she putting herself at such a risk for her? She sometimes wondered if her bodyguard was actually reporting all their conversations to her husband.

  Ma put her hand to an ear as though she was receiving a message. “I have to take you to your room and guard you there” she said as she put her mask back on. “Qin is back.”

  “Who’s Qin?” said Wei as she was helped up.

  “One of the greatest. He went missing a few months ago but he just appeared through a wormhole.”

  “Then why does he want me to go back to my room?”

  “I don’t know, Wei. Bo is just terrified of him.”

  Wei tried to imagine someone more terrifying than her husband and found that she couldn’t. She became increasingly curious about this ‘Qin’ as she climbed the stairs to her room. “He’s a Shadow?”

  Ma didn’t reply right away. Once they were both in Wei’s room, Ma took off her mask again. “He’s not only a Shadow. He’s a legend. The greatest fighter and spy China has ever seen.”

  “Where do you think he went?”

  The Shadow shrugged. “He was never close to anyone, not even the other Shadows. Maybe he was on a mission for Bo.”

  “Why are you helping me, Liang?”

  The question seemed to knock the female Shadow off balance for the briefest of moments. One thing Wei had noticed about Shadows was their neutral expressions. She noticed that in her husband first, the way his face never really expressed emotion. When he smiled, it was more of a mocking smile than anything to show contentedness. Perhaps it was a face that was trained into them?

  “I don’t know” said Ma truthfully.

  Wei was fully aware of the danger Ma would face if anyone found out that she had supplied the Empress with a fertility suppression device that was swallowed with a glass of water and which remained in the kidney emitting a pulse that neutralised any sperm. Perhaps it was because they were both women trying to find their way in male-dominated professions.

  “Do you think Qin sympathises with Bo’s regime?” asked Wei. Ma shook her head. “Do you?” This time it took a couple seconds longer for her bodyguard to shake her head. “Can Qin kill my husband?”

  Ma put her hand to her ear again. She then stood up and put her mask back on. “Something’s coming.”

  “What’s coming?”

  “I don’t know” replied Ma as she took out a sidearm and a long geratinium dagger.

  The door blew open from pulse fire though Ma had already disappeared into a black blur. On the other side of the doorframe stood a thin, Caucasian-looking man of medium height. He smiled showing long, white teeth in a way that made the young Empress shiver with fear.

  Ma reappeared and shot her sidearm at him. He twisted his torso to evade the pulse and shot back. Wei was too scared to scream and sat rooted to her bed. Ma pushed her down to the ground before becoming a black blur again.

  The man walked confidently towards the Empress. When Ma came down on top of him with a dagger outstretched he had already disappeared. He materialised behind her with his pulse sidearm pointed at her head. She arched her back and the pulse missed, instead creating a large hole in one of the walls.

  Watching the two made Wei dizzy. Who was this man and why was he trying to kill her? Was he the famous Qin? She heard a thumping sound and Ma landed on the floor. With a lightning fast kick, the man disarmed her and then lifted his blade above her eye.

  “Stop!” cried Wei just when the blade was about to come down. To her surprise, the man stopped and looked at her. “Who are you?” she asked.

  He stood to full height and offered his hand to Ma who declined with an intense stare. The man shrugged. “I happen to be you’re liberator, Your Highness.”

  Chapter 27: Cousins

  ‘Some ask me why we don't strive for a united Renden entity that will stay at the pinnacle of the galactic order? In other words, a galactic Renden Empire. That is a very tempting thought given the chaos will ensue following our colonial withdrawal. But if history has taught us anything, it is that empires fall. That is an inevitable fact. A flexible system of allied galactic entities is not only more resilient, it can even help avoid any stages of barbarism or chaos that are unavoidable after any collapse, though this remains to be proven.’ - Terry Southend, , year 2917

  Terry awoke in complete darkness. He had a mild migraine and a stiff neck. He shook his head to release some of the pain. He was lying on a soft, silk-like bed that was about as twice as wide as his shoulders. His bare feet touched a warm floor that felt like plastic. He had been stripped to his underwear and could feel a slight breeze that carried with it a whiff of earth and moisture.

  Strong hands suddenly grabbed his shoulders. “Wait, my friend” said a high-pitched voice in a strange accent. Seeing that this person could see in the pitch black while he couldn’t, he decided that it was a good idea to comply with his suggestion. He sat back on the bed and waited.

  He felt a device cupping the back of his head and a moment later his eyes could see his surroundings. Realising that his eyes didn’t hurt from the sudden abundance of light, he looked enquiringly at the man standing in front him who had presumably helped him back onto the bed.

  “We stopped the signals from your eyes from reaching your brain. A precautionary gesture, nothing more” said the man.

  His voice and accent were similar to those of the holograph that had spoken to them in the ship. Terry stared at the face of his host and saw a strong, almost exaggerated jawline and a very prominent brow. He had light brown skin and a large nose. His black hair had been tied into a long braid that he wore on his shoulder. He was a heavy, muscular-looking person whose voice seemed too squeaky for his physique.

  “Your friends are safe” said the mysterious man.

  Anton waved at him from an identical bed while Heera and Sara were both still unconscious.

  “Who are you?” asked Terry, his voice full of suspicion.

  “A friend, that is all you need to know for now. We’ve brought you here because we want to help you.”

  Terry stood up and found that he was about the same height as the other man. “Friend’s don’t knock you out sneakily.”

  “We needed to be sure that you were completely free of any dangerous microbes. We haven’t had any outsiders on our world for the last twenty thousand years. Surely, you can understand such measures.”

  “What is this place? Why did you bring…”

  The man put up his hands as if to ask for silence. “Please, you will know everything shortly. First, you need to meet one more person of our order. We’ll wait for your friends to awake.”

  Heera and Sara both woke within the following ten minutes. The man gave each of them a long blue cloak that felt unnaturally soft. Terry got the sensation that he was wearing something made out of a warm, light liquid. Soft slippers made of the same material sheltered their feet. Heera looked up at him and squeezed his hand as they were led out of what appeared to be a medical station.

  “Where are the others?” said Anton. Terry had wanted to ask the same question since the mysterious man kept on using the term ‘we’.

  “There are very few of us left now and none on this side of the planet. We have to get to the other side where most of my kind live.”

  “Where’s Bin’ja?” said Heera.

  “Already at the other side.”

  They were led outside to the bottom of the giant hole into which their ship had been led. Doorways in the side of the hole suggested a vast sub
terranean living complex. Terry estimated the hole to be about half a mile deep judging from the size of the circle of bright blue and pink sky. The Orca transporter was posed exactly in the centre and the four Rendens naturally walked towards it.

  “That won’t be necessary” said the man. He then whispered something and a bright green light illuminated all the crevices of the giant hole in the ground.

  “A wormhole?” said Sara incredulously.

  A portal of green light opened up in front of them. “Not exactly, but similar” said the man. “with all the benefits but none of the inconveniences.”

  Terry had trouble conceiving a wormhole small and safe enough to be opened on the ground of a planet. He almost stopped the man who walked casually through as if to mock their suspicion. None of the four Rendens seemed eager to try; everyone knew that making contact with the virulent edge of a wormhole would rip them into pieces. Terry decided to go first to show an example but Heera beat him to it. He had to admit that he almost felt a gulp of fear as she walked tensely through the doorway of light.

  The other side of the portal was dark and humid like a night in a dense jungle. Green, orange and pink light emanated from scores of plants, much like the surface of the great continent they had seen. Terry saw that the shapes and sizes of the plants weren’t quite as strange and, indeed, many of them looked mildly like trees and shrubs from Earth. Despite the darkness and the multitude of plant life, he felt a curious sense of oppression from his surroundings, as if he were deep underground.

  “Gravity is slightly lower than on Earth” explained the man who had perhaps misunderstood Terry’s expression.

  An old woman, also with the same strong jawline, emerged from the trees wearing a purple cloak. Despite her white hair, she still retained a strong, muscular figure. “Welcome, cousins” she said in a much higher voice than suited her with her left hand outstretched.