Freedom by Fire

by C P MacDonald

  The Royal Knights had served his family for decades, protecting them within the Palace and acting as public defenders across the planet. But qualifying for Knighthood was a difficult and laborious endeavor, which meant they never had enough Knights. Even in the Palace they only had a hundred in service. Looking around at the nearby rooftops and balconies, it looked to him like most of those Knights were surrounding them now. What they were protecting them from here, deep in the Palace, he hadn’t a clue. Dunadd, as a planet-wide agricultural ecosystem, had an extreme value in the TriadVerse because of its high volume of food production. The Knights handled all the security and city patrols. But with a population of mainly farmers and administrators, the Dunadds had to rely on trained outside forces, such as the Aratan, to protect the planet itself.

  Popping the last bite of pie into his mouth, Blayne turned back to the reception behind him, which had relaxed from the tense negations and become more cheerful. Spotting Douglas through the crowd, he waved him over.

  “Hey cuz,” greeted Douglas, who promptly snatched a sweetmeat off of Blayne's plate and shoved it into his mouth. Letting out a small “Hmmm!” he nodded in approval. “Your mother worked one of her miracles again, everyone is relaxing and talking instead of arguing,” he complimented.

  “Yes, she knows how to manage a party, I’ll give her that.”

  “Speaking of partying, have you seen my mother anywhere?” asked Douglas. “She may not care for Rania but she doesn’t like to miss out on good buffet.”

  “Nope, but I wasn’t paying attention.” Looking around the crowd, Blayne added, “Now that I’m looking, where is the Aratan delegation? They were here a few minutes ago.”

  Douglas pointed down the long veranda to a group coming through a distant doorway, “There they are, where did they go? And why am I not surprised to see my mother talking to Tavio? She is such a kiss ass, she will even butter up to a guard,” he complained.

  Blayne watched the delegation and saw Kessen give a small bow to his aunt, who smiled and curtsied in return before walking away with her ever-present crowd of followers. After she left, Kessen turned to Tavio and spoke in his ear, tapping his own wristcom. With a sharp nod and a cold smile, Tavio saluted and marched off. Blayne’s curiosity piqued, just what were those two planning now?

  “Don’t you agree? That all she does is kiss butt?” Douglas said, interrupted his spying.

  Blayne, as much as he wanted to agree with his cousin, felt a family obligation to defend his aunt, “I’m sure she is just doing her part to smooth out the treaty negations. It has been particularly rough this time around.”

  “You’re not joking. I’ve never seen Kessen so against compromise, and so demanding. He is refusing to budge on any of his demands. You heard the rumors of him expanding his armed forces at even a higher rate than he has admitted too? Right?”

  Blayne nodded that he had. Douglas leaned in closer and lowered his voice, “I even heard some rumors he built a spaceship factory on one of his moons.”

  Blayne’s eyes widened in shock, “Spaceships? What would he need a spaceship factory for?”

  Douglas carefully scanned the crowd and continued to whisper, “Probably because he has been trying to land a major defense contract with the Kingdom of Zalore.”

  "Mac Na Galla!" Blayne exclaimed in Gaelic, Dunadd’s ancestral language. While rarely spoken anymore, he found the old language very satisfying to cuss in. "What does King Tyrell need with a larger military force? He already controls an entire solar system!" He frowned at Douglas, "Does my father know about this?” Thinking of the stories he had heard of King Tyrell and the Kingdom of Zalore made Blayne shudder. Of the three solar systems inhabited by humankind, Tyrell ruled one-third of the territory, all by himself. Which made him the most powerful ruler in the TriadVerse. A position he took advantage of, usually against his own people.

  Douglas shrugged, “Like I said, rumors and idle gossip. None of which Morgan or his Knights have substantiated. But it matches up with Kessen’s new demand for higher exports.”

  “I don’t know how you keep track of all this stuff, or how you find out about it.” Blayne complimented his cousin, “You sure you don’t want my job?”

  Douglas laughed, “I’m sure my Mum would love it if I had your position. But I’m too far down the succession line to even worry about it. I humbly bow to you and Cadee’s ‘superior’ genes and position.”

  Blayne punched his cousin in the shoulder playfully. He may not like his Aunt Wynda, but he couldn’t ask for a better kinsman than Douglas. And although Douglas was too far removed from the line of succession to be King, sometimes Blayne thought his cousin would make a better ruler than himself.

  Cadee interrupted their banter by squeezing in between them, “What was that about superior genes? Are you finally admitting to being an inferior Maxwell?” she said with a giggle.

  Cracking his knuckles, Douglas grinned at his young cousin, “If being inferior means I get out of half of the meetings and ceremonies it requires of you two, then yes I proudly admit my inferiority!”

  Blayne's mother interrupted the relaxed atmosphere by clapping her hands for attention, “If everyone has had their fill and are ready to begin again, let’s all move back inside.” She wrapped her arm through King Lamond’s and led everyone back into the meeting room.

  Chapter 5

  Blayne opted to stand against the wall in the corner with Gunn for the second round of discussions. His sitting at the meeting table was symbolic only, and he knew it. He fought the urge to fidget and forced himself to stand still at attention. His wristcom chirped lightly and Morgan’s voice came through.

  “Boy, you will learn nothing by holding the wall up,” the head knight ruled him.

  Whispering so only his com unit picked it up, Blayne snapped back, “At least holding the wall up is being useful. I am as useful at the negotiating table as that vase of flowers. But since you’re on the line, what’s the deal with Kessen? He is being particularly stubborn this time around.” Even as he said it, he watched Kessen throw a tablet so hard down on the table the screen cracked. Kessen’s aid, obviously accustomed to such acts, quickly pulled the broken table off the table and slipped a new one in its place. “And cranky,” Blayne added.

  “I don’t know,” Morgan replied. “Our latest Intel, I'm sure you've heard, has suggested he is building up his forces, but for what purpose we don’t know yet. Hold on a second, I’m receiving an urgent report.”

  Blayne heard Morgan click the com into silent mode. He shifted his weight to his other foot and occupied his mind with plans on how to improve the stability on his skyboard when Morgan's voice snapped over his com, “Grab your mother and sister for rapid extraction, we are coming in now.”

  Gunn, standing close enough to hear Morgan’s warning, shot a worried look at Blayne. They barely had time to process what Morgan had said before a squad of Knights barreled through the door, their dirks in one hand and service blasters in the other.

  Blayne’s father stood up and demanded, “Morgan, what is the meaning of this intrusion?”

  “Sire, we have reports of possible forces fighting their way into the Palace. Until we know more, we must get you and your family to safety,” Morgan bellowed, then turned to the Aratan contingent. “Director, we have a safe room prepared for you and your guests. If you would please follow the Knight at the door.”

  Kessen planted his feet wide and crossed his arms with a little smile, “Oh, that won’t be necessary. We are completely safe where we are.” As if on cue, three squads of armored Kartack troopers dropped onto the veranda outside and piled into the meeting room to surround everyone, blaster rifles and hand cannons pointing directly at the Royal family and their Knights. “The invading forces are mine,” Kessen said simply.

  Morgan motioned for his Knights to stand down and surrender to the overwhelming forces that continued to pile into the room. Blayne's mother grabbed onto Lamond's arm, “Where did all these sold
iers come from? How did they get into the Palace undetected?”

  Lamond growled low, “There’s no way they could have gotten this close, unless…”

  “Unless they had help,” Blayne’s aunt said entering the room. “Yes, dear brother. They had help.” Instead of walking to the Dunadd side of the table, Wynda crossed over and stood next to Tavio and Kessen. “I’ve always tried to warn you, your Knights are useless and outdated against real military forces.”

  Morgan growled and stepped toward Wynda with his hands raised, but stopped cold in his tracks when Tavio planted a blaster barrel against his forehead. “Relax, Sir Knight, and you just may live through the day,” Tavio warned in a low gravelly voice.

  Rania gasped in realization, “Wynda! How could you? You betrayed us? Traitor!”

  “Oh, calm down my dear. Sister-in-law or not, don’t tempt me to shoot you,” warned Wynda.

  Blayne hadn’t moved a muscle since the soldiers had stormed the room. As slowly and inconspicuously as they could, he and Gunn slid to either side of Cadee, staying behind the crowd around the table. His sister clasped her hands tight, trying to stop them from shaking. She glanced up at Blayne, fear swimming in her eyes.

  “Now let’s not make this any harder than it has to be,” said Kessen calmly. Turning toward King Lamond, he tossed a new tablet across the table. “Here you will find our new terms, and… “ gesturing around them, “considering the circumstances I believe you will find them generous.”

  Glaring with red eyes at Kessen, King Lamond picked up the tablet with a shaking hand and glanced over the introduction of the treaty. His eyes widened and his lip curled in disgust as he read the tablet.

  “So, all of your ‘negotiations’ for the past two hours, the demands, the theatrics, they were a delay,” accused Lamond, glaring at Kessen.

  The Director smiled coldly, “Thanks to the heightened security focused on this room, it was easy for my forces to slip through the Capital and into the Palace.”

  “Are you insane? There is no way I will agree to these terms!” King Lamond stammered and threw Kessen’s tablet back across the table at him. The King furrowed his eyebrows at the Aratan Director, “At one time we were friends, why would you do this?”

  “What is it, dear? What does he want?” Rania asked.

  He looked down at her and murmured, as if he couldn’t believe it himself, “Everything.”

  "Oh, come now that’s a slight exaggeration, Lamond! I don’t want everything," Kessen interrupted. "Well, yes, I do want the entire planet, but I will leave your family in charge of it." He shrugged, "I orchestrate military assaults and run wars, I know nothing about running a farm."

  Confused, Rania asked, “Then why do you want it?”

  “I wasn’t lying during our negotiations, my forces are expanding and I need more food to sustain them.” Kessen paused with a smile and gestured around them, “Besides, I’ve always liked this Palace. It is very elegant and classic. As you know, my planet is mostly desert. This planet will make a fine new Command Center for my growing Corporation.”

  “But that’s not all, my old friend,” snarled Lamond. “Tell her what else you want.”

  “Oh, there is the small matter of securing the hereditary rights to the planet for future generations of my House. So, in exchange for protecting your planet and your people, you will have Cadee marry me.” Kessen held his chin up, an evil oozing smirk plastered across his face.

  “No! I’ll never marry you!” exclaimed Cadee. “Father! Tell him no!”

  As Lamond held up his hand to object, the Kartack soldier behind him placed his blaster against the back of the King’s head and everyone in the room heard the gun whine as the power inside built up. The King dropped his hand and lowered his eyes, overcome with shame.

  Casually hitching a hip up on the meeting table, Kessen spoke, “What you and your backward little farming planet don’t realize is, you need me. You need my military. There are forces out there you know nothing about or can comprehend. Hell, there are things even I don't know, and I've stationed my men all across the three systems. But believe me when I say something strange is out there. And to prepare for whatever it is, I need more men. This planet, and its food supply, is one variable of a much bigger plan.”

  Confused, Lamont demanded, “What in the name of space crazy are you babbling on about?”

  Kessen frowned at the King, but let the insult slide, “You haven’t heard of the attacks along the edges of the systems? The small outposts and independent space stations disappearing without warning? Something has been hitting the outer fringes of the TriadVerse for the past year and leaving no evidence of who or what they are.”

  “We are no little outpost or space station,” corrected Morgan in his deep voice.

  “No, you’re not,” agreed Kessen. “You are a planet of farmers.” He gestured at his men surrounding the room, “Look how easy we took you.”

  Refusing to stay silent any longer, Blayne stepped out from behind the crowd, “That’s because we trusted you!” he snapped. “The people of this planet will never submit to your rule.”

  Kessen laughed, “Oh, actually I think they will. As a long-running Royal line, your House forgets the viewpoint of the little people, the serfs, servants, and peasants that make your planet and Kingdom work. As long as someone is sitting on that throne to protect them from the evils of the universe, I don't think they really care who they say Sire or Your Highness too.”

  The Director stood and stretched his lank frame before offering, “I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you time to mull this new arrangement over.” He walked around the negotiating table and sat in King Lamond’s chair at the head, then leaned back and propped his feet up. With an indifferent shrug he said, “You will either accept my proposal, or you will die.” Gesturing at the soldiers he ordered, “Take them away. Lock the Royal Family in their own prison cells until I call for them.”

  Blayne jerked his arm away from the soldier who tried to grab it and glared daringly into the black visor of the soldier’s helmet. Gunn placed himself at Blayne’s back as they both faced off against the Kartack troops. But Rania touched their arms and shook her head, “Don’t, not now.”

  A soldier pressed his gun into Blayne’s stomach, urging him, Gunn, and Cadee out the door with the rest of the Royal Family. The Knights, relieved of their weapons, were marched out of the room and down the hall with the family. Morgan casually walked up between Blayne and Cadee, “Keep your heads down, and be prepared,” he whispered.

  Blayne shot him a confused and worried look sideways but slowly nodded his head. They continued their forced march through the palace under guard. Now Blayne could see just how unprepared Kessen had caught them. All throughout the Palace were Kartack soldiers, armed and geared to the teeth for a fight. He could see scorch marks on the walls and floors where fighting had broken out, but the Palace Knights had been severely outnumbered and overwhelmed. With his hands cuffed behind his back, Blayne clenched his fists in anger. Walking by bodies on the floor, he realized with a shock the dead were servants and Palace personnel, not Knights. Kessen would pay for this, he vowed silently.

  As they approached the shaft that went down to the prison level under the Palace, Morgan softly bumped him to get his attention and glanced at the lift doors. Taking the hint, Blayne moved closer to Cadee. Just as they reached the lift, the doors snapped open and a squad of Knights opened fire from within, firing with pinpoint accuracy at the Kartack soldiers surrounding the Royal Family.

  Before the bodies of the Kartack had fallen to the floor Morgan turned around so a Knight could cut the cuffs off of him, then preceded to do the same for the Family.

  “Sire, we need to get you to the command bunker right away. The surviving members of the Council are there already to help orchestrate a counterattack,” Morgan said to the King.

  “Good work, Eric. I am sad to say, you were right,” the King shook his head in disappointment.

  “W
hat? You knew this would happen?” snapped the Queen.

  “We had Intel that suggested Director Kessen would try something, but we didn’t know what. So we implemented a few contingency plans,” the King said, wrapping a comforting arm around his wife. Looking back down the long hallway littered with bodies he added, “Unfortunately, the plans weren’t good enough. “ He turned and placed a reassuring hand on the shoulders of Blayne and Cadee, “You two are to get off-planet with Morgan, no arguments,” and looking down at his wife he added gently, “And I need you to go with them.”

  “There is no way in hell I am leaving you and this planet to that monster!” snapped Rania.

  “Please don’t fight me about this, my dear. If our counterattack fails, I need to know that my family is safe and that the Royal line continues,” he said, wrapping an arm around Cadee. He pointed a finger at Gunn, “You have watched my son’s back for years, now I ask you to help Blayne do the same for my wife and daughter.

  Both of the young men nodded solemnly.

  “You know we will Sire,” Blayne said.

  Beside him, Gunn bowed deep to the King.

  Lamond gave his wife a kiss before stepping into the lift with the rest of the Knights. “Morgan will take you to a safe house first, then get you off-planet. I will contact you when I can,” his tone clipped. The father figure receded to allow the King in him to take over.