Tides of Mars (Omnibus Version)

by Ben Winston

  “I think that would be best. Except for the fact that the DL's refit sheds are going to be flooded with Guardians soon. Maybe you should have DL awaken Gr'eis and give her the information,” Bri'tell suggested. “Do you have a report on the interdiction weapon?”

  “Still in transit. It should arrive at its target coordinates in the next few hours. We have confirmed that the second inbound track is indeed a Damiscos weapon. The other target is a fleet that was escorting the weapon. It is believed they will be decelerating very soon, and possibly even dropping out of hyper and await the effect of the weapon on this system,” Cole explained.

  Bri'tell nodded. “That makes sense I guess. I'm not a fleet tactician, but sending in a battle group immediately after that mass weapon made no sense at all, even to me.”

  “Guardian General Maas sent a Guardian out to shadow the fleet and relay information back to us. She should be intercepting the fleet later today,” Cole added.

  “Makes a lot of sense. I've never met him before, but he seems like a good man,” Bri'tell said.

  “He has a very impressive record, and has proven his loyalty to the Empire on many occasions. He personally executed another Guardian for high treason when that Guardian tried to recruit him into the slaver faction. However, before he killed the man, he managed to get the names of several other Guardians that had switched sides. He takes his duty to the Empire very seriously.”

  “Wait a minute. If the Guardian isn't out there yet, how did you get confirmation of what the tracks were?” Bri'tell asked.

  “The interdiction weapon. Since it was decided that the weapon would have to be able to adjust to a number of unknown variables, as well as be able to maneuver in Hyperspace, it was given a smart control system. My old shell was used as the 'missile'. Since it was equipped with an advanced sensor suite, we have been receiving data from it since it was launched.”

  “You know, we really need to come up with an avatar for you. Normally, Ariel is the one that deals with you the most, but you really are a very important member of this group, it would be nice to see you when speaking to you,” Bri'tell said.

  “I've actually never even thought of that. What do you suggest?” Cole asked.

  “I honestly don't know. I think it's something we'd have to talk over with the ladies. Does Ariel have a mental image of you she speaks to?”

  “Yes, she does. However, the image is that of a popular actor, one Dominic Purcell.” Cole displayed a holographic image of the actor. “This is how she sees me in her mind.”

  “He's a good looking man. Is this how you see yourself?” Bri'tell asked.

  “I see myself as the ship. I am artificial after all,” Cole replied.

  Bri'tell raised an eyebrow. “Does the thought of having an avatar disturb you?”

  Cole was silent for a moment. “I don't know. I am having difficulty processing the emotions involved with it. Perhaps I need more time to consider the answer to the question.”

  “Fair enough. I won't mention it again until you feel you're ready,” Bri'tell replied.

  “Admiral Gr'eis sent a reply thanking us for the heads up. She said she is acting on it, and everything will be ready when the Guardians get there,” Cole replied.

  “She must be a light sleeper. Okay, that's handled. What's our arrival at the first orbital look like?” Bri'tell asked.

  “Orbital Defense Command has approved our flight path, so about ten minutes,” Cole replied. “Since most of that system is automated, we really aren't going to be able to see all that much.”

  “I know, but it was a good idea as a delaying tactic, so we should at least have something to tell Ariel when she wakes up. How is the ODC command bunker on the moon coming along?”

  “That part of the system is almost complete. Our biggest problem is going to be getting the defenses themselves built. Other than those anti-piracy satellites for detection, they really don't have anything that can fight back. I doubt any of the orbital fortresses will be finished in time for this fight, but at least a few of them will be capable of limited attack.”

  “Is the ODC going to be restricted to automated orbitals?” Britell asked.

  “No, not once it gets completed. However, for now, they will not have any fighters or Marines. Admiral Hs'ean did task two wings to the ODC to enforce Ariel's anti-aggression order on Earth. Once the fighting starts though, they'll be recalled to the Divine Light,” Cole explained.

  “You know, one of the things that's been bothering me about all of this; currently, there are a lot of star ships in this system. Everyone seems really concerned about mass close to the star. Most of the warships are carrying replicator mass. How are we going to be able to effectively fight the slavers when we are already have too much mass in the system?” Bri'tell asked.

  “You're question is a good one, Master Chief. However, in this instance, there won't be that much of a problem as long as the fighting takes place in the outer system, or better yet, completely out of the gravity well of the star.

  “The destabilization effect of the Demiscos Ship is created when a large amount of mass suddenly returns to normal space in close proximity to a star. For example, the Divine Light, with a full replicator mass, could jump from and to Earth orbit, but it would have an effect on the planet. However, it would not overbalance the primary. Now, if the ship where much closer than the second planet, there would be destabilization. The degree of which would depend on how close the ship was to the star.

  “Now, the ship itself could cruise very close to the star without risk of destabilization because the effect would be a gradual build up, the star would adjust. So, as long as we get the enemy fleet to drop out of hyper outside the system, any effects from the amount of mass should be minimized,” Cole explained.

  “I'm glad you can figure that out. It's giving me a headache,” Bri'tell said. “The main reason I became a grunt in the first place; I really suck at math.”

  “Maybe, but you excel at other things. If you didn't, you wouldn't have made it to the rank you currently hold. You are an excellent leader. Your troops look up to you, and you inspire them to do their best in impossible situations. That is a quality I don't think I could possess no matter how hard I tried,” Cole replied. “Ariel has fallen asleep, mKail will be joining you shortly.”

  “Okay, I suppose we should take a look at these automated defense platforms then,” Bri'tell said, getting up to get himself a cup of coffee, with just a dash of brandy liqueur.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Moran-Parker Estate,

  Henderson, Nevada, Earth.

  Sol Sector. (Horon-A sector)

  “As soon as Grandfather arrives, I need to get going. Are you going to have a problem dealing with him and the Royal Guard?” Ariel asked Alex.

  “No, the Emperor is great, and I'll just take my cue from you on dealing with the Royal Guard,” Alex replied. “If they give me trouble, I'll just steam-roll over them. However, now that the cat's out of the bag here on Earth, I don't see that as being a problem either.”

  “Well, if anyone gives you trouble - and that includes Cr'ale - call me, I'll deal with it,” Ariel said.

  “I doubt I'll be bothering you, Ariel. For the most part, Cr'ale manages his own people. Besides, I can be a hard-ass when I need to be. I can always call Betty if things get too far out of hand,” Alex replied.

  “Damn straight!” Betty replied, grinning from her place in line.

  The household was assembled to welcome their honored guest, Emperor Cr'ale, as he would be riding out the battle here on planet with the rest of Ariel's household. Ariel herself will be on the Divine Light helping to direct the coming battle.

  The refugees in the system will have either landed on Mars, Earth, or been escorted to the Centauri system to get them out of the way of the battle. The ships that had been directed to land on Earth were under quarantine; they had to remain sealed, and a guard was placed on them. However, food and water were delivered to the ships
on an as needed basis.

  “Phaetheon is on final approach, Ariel. They should be here in just a few minutes,” Cole warned.

  “Thank you, Cole. Okay everyone, if you're not where you're supposed to be, this is your last chance to get there!” Ariel said loudly.

  There was a sudden scrambling of personnel as everyone ran to get to their places. Ariel chuckled and shook her head. Formality sucked, but they were going to have to get used to it.

  The Earth forces had been informed of the arrival, so security was indeed tight around the estate. Even the airspace above the estate had been cleared for the Imperial arrival.

  Despite Ariel asking them to hold off because of the upcoming battle, several diplomats had arrived from the UN to discuss the Imperial presence on Earth. Ariel had been ignoring them.

  Alex had placated them by telling them that Ariel was very busy at the moment dealing with the impending threat to the planet, and would be able to answer their questions once that threat was dealt with.

  They didn't like it, but they accepted it. The simple fact of the matter was, they had no choice but to accept it.

  Now the arrival of the battle fleet was only a few hours away, the Emperor was going to weather the storm here on Earth, in Ariel's home. Sean had the fleet deployed to welcome the new arrivals. The orbital defense platforms were actually still under construction, but most of them could still fight. The upgrades to the deep-space missile platforms had been completed, but just barely. Everything was set for Sol System to give the Republican fleet a very warm welcome.

  As Ariel mused over the preparations that had been made, she watched the Phaetheon descend through the clear, desert sky. As a matter of protocol, she had invited the diplomats to attend Cr'ale's arrival. Beside them stood General McCallister and Colonel Grady. Luke and Bri'tell stood beside Ariel. mKail was also with Ariel, on Ariel's orders. She knew the Regulan Guard detail had a problem with it, but she ordered them to get over it.

  The two hour nap Ariel had gotten when Bri'tell 'ordered' her to bed had done wonders. She still needed to sleep, but she was far more clear-headed than she had been. General Maas said that her enhancements were probably working overtime to keep her going, and once the emergency was over, they would shut her down to make repairs to systems damaged by fatigue toxins. Basically he warned her that she was running on borrowed time.

  She was good with that; as long as they held off until her system was safe. She would sleep and when she woke up she'd take back the rest of the Empire and hang every one of the assholes that were hurting her people.

  For now though, her Grandfather, and the ruler of the Empire was walking toward her smiling broadly. Everyone had knelt as protocol demanded except for Ariel who lowered herself and bowed her head to him. It was a perfect example to the Earth representatives of just how powerful Ariel was.

  “My Lord Emperor, once again, welcome to our home. You bless us with your presence,” Ariel intoned, formally.

  Cr'ale and Alustria stopped in front of Ariel and bowed to her. “My Lady Ariel, it is you that do honor to us with your invitation. We are certain that you will protect us in this dark hour. Everyone, please rise,” Cr'ale said, smiling.

  “We will give all that we are, Imperial Majesty. Please allow me to introduce my other guests,” Ariel replied.

  She turned to Alustria and took the woman's hand. “It is a true pleasure to see you again, Highness. Welcome to my home.”

  “I had heard it was beautiful here, My Lady. I am very happy to have gotten the opportunity to see it for myself,” Alustria replied, gracefully. Yes, she had been here before, but those visits had been covert, and she had not been outside. What surprised Ariel was that both Alustria and Hanya where outside in the full sun of day and it wasn't affecting them. Apparently, they had gotten body upgrades.

  Most of the people in Ariel's party had met the Emperor before. Although few had met his new wife. However for some, like mKail, it would be a first time meeting for either of them. When Cr'ale and Alustria stopped before her, she bowed deeply once again.

  “Majesty, I never had the opportunity to thank you for your intercession on my behalf. Regardless of what is feared or reported, I will always be your loyal servant.”

  “We have fought with the Guard over you for years, my dear. You see, you are far more than an expatriate of the Regulan Guard. We will explain more in private, for that is the nature of this issue. But for now, know that you have our undying gratitude for keeping our granddaughter safe,” Cr'ale said and lifted the woman to her feet.

  Soon enough, Ariel got to the Earth people that had been allowed to attend. “Majesties, may I present Ambassador Brian Green, he was sent here on a diplomatic mission from the United Nations.”

  Each of the Diplomats bowed as Ariel introduced them. When the last of the three diplomats had been introduced, Cr'ale nodded to them. “Gentlemen, we agree with the necessity of having diplomatic relations, and as such, we will be more than happy to meet with you as soon as is possible. We have a couple of other duties we need to see to first, but perhaps we could meet later this day? I will have my aide contact each of you once we have a better idea of what time that may be. Will this be satisfactory?”

  Glancing at his colleagues for an answer, Ambassador Green nodded his head. “That would be very satisfactory, you’re Majesty. Thank you for your rapid consideration.”

  “I look forward to that meeting Gentlemen, now if you'll excuse me, we should finish this,” Cr'ale said. All three ambassadors bowed, accepting the dismissal. Since they were all smiling, Ariel knew none of them had taken offense.

  “Your Majesty, may I present Major General Neil McCallister and Colonel James Grady. They command the Terran Marine division currently protecting the perimeter of the estate,” Ariel intoned.

  Again both men took their cue from the rest of the crowd and bowed.

  Once they stood back up, Cr'ale offered them his hand to shake. “Gentlemen, we have been reading the reports from Ariel as well as Colonel Janus. We would like to take the opportunity to thank both of you for not over-reacting to our presence here. A lot of people could have gotten hurt before an understanding was reached.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty. It helped to have your own forces help us find that understanding. Colonel Janus as well as Her Highness have been very helpful in keeping things under control, and keeping us abreast of the situation,” McCallister replied.

  “Excellent! Please keep up the great work,” Cr'ale replied, nodding to the two men.

  The last two people in line were John and Betty. Foregoing formality, Cr'ale shook John's hand and kissed Betty on the cheek. “Our last meal spoiled us for weeks, My Lady! My Chancellor has accused me of wanting to return here simply for the food!”

  “I'll not disappoint you either, Your Majesty! You'll always have a chair at my table!” Betty replied beaming a smile at the Emperor. John looked about to burst with pride for his wife.

  “That is an invitation we will be hard pressed to not abuse, Thank you, My Lady,” Cr'ale said as he stood to the side to await the rest of his retinue.

  Once everyone had gotten to Ariel's office, and were able to leave formality behind, Ariel gave Cr'ale and Alustria both hugs.

  “I know you need to be leaving for the Divine Light soon, Granddaughter, and I will do my best not to slow you down. However, I feel the need to get something straightened out,” Cr'ale said.

  “Okay, I can wait a few minutes,” Ariel said, curious.

  Cr'ale turned to mKail. “I owe you not only a profound apology, but my heartfelt and sincere gratitude. It is indeed good that the fates have placed us here, so that the truth about your lineage could finally be revealed.” He directed mKail to a seat next to him, but held onto her hand.

  “You have always had a special status that was known only to a very select few. You see, you are the illegitimate grandchild of Baron Del'nire du Aldus Forward. You, your parents and your grandmother were placed into a pr
otective protocol to keep you safe from Altrov and his ilk.

  “You would have grown up as normal as we could make it, but a series of unfortunate events occurred when you were very young. The long and the short of it is that you were orphaned and we lost track of you.

  “Had we not lost track of you, I would have most likely sent you here to Et'telle. However, you were put into the system just as any other child would have been. We later discovered that probably saved your life.

  “By the time we found you again, you had already begun your third year in the Regulan Academy. Their special programming had already begun, and it was too late to remove you from that environment.

  “As you know, you had a rocky career with the Guards. However, and I pointed this out on many occasions to the Regulan Commander, never once did you act against the Empire. Yes, you acted against policy as well as your orders, but you did so for the greater good of the Empire.

  “When I found out that Et'telle had indeed had a child and she was grooming her for her current duties, I immediately thought of you as a guardian for her. I fought with the Regulan Commander for hours over it, but he finally agreed with me.

  “We both knew you were in danger of breaking your conditioning. He was afraid of it, I was hoping for it. I knew you would either commit yourself completely to Ariel, or you wouldn't. If you didn't, you would have never broke your conditioning, and you would still have been a very good guardian for her. However, if you did commit to her, like you have, I knew it would blow your conditioning away, and you would be the absolute best guardian anyone could hope for.

  “You are a Princess, mKail. Even if you were not in the position you currently are in, you would still have that. However, while you were a member of the Guard, you could not have that title due to a conflict within the laws of the Empire. However, now that you are no longer of the guard, I have officially listed you as a Princess of the Realm,” Cra'le finished.