New Contract (Perimeter Defense Book #3) (43 page)

"Then I agree to be the new ruler of the Swarm and unite the territory of the Iseyek with that of the Unatari State. I am prepared to swear to protect all citizens of the unified government at any cost, regardless of their race."

A number of system messages ran before my eyes, indicating sovereignty changes for a great many star systems after my choice. But I closed that interface window and said with a smirk:

"Triasss Zess, I give my permission, but would like to publicly announce my decision at the meeting with the Emperor. There, the news will go off like a bomb and blow my foes' plans to smithereens."

"As you say, my King! And given that everything went according to plan, this is no longer necessary." the praying mantis said, pulling out his neck and removing a circular object from a slot between layers of chitin, then handing it to Popori de Cacha. "This is a powerful bomb. The Swarm couldn’t allow the invasion fleet to be led by the greatest Imperial fleet commander, after all."

* * *

For the second time, my visit to the Silver Palace felt all wrong. I didn't feel any childlike wonder from the grandeur of the rooms. I was totally lacking in timidity before the powerful of this world and, also, the Emperor himself didn't arouse feelings of piety or an irresistible desire to fall to my knees as he should have. A year ago, I saw him as a God of this world, capable of ending the life of billions with one twitch of his brow. Now, though, the man before me looked to be an ancient, ailing fart, who was insanely tired after many years of rule, but was still trying stubbornly to hold on to power, because it helped his decrepit body stay alive.

I could have said the same about any of the Great House Heads in the room. A year ago, any Duke would have seemed at an unreachable height, but now I wasn't able to call up any kind of submissive feelings before them at all. What was there to admire here? Duchess Ovella was an underage witch that the Truth Seeker Krista had placed on the Blue House throne and was using as a marionette. Duke Takuro from the Purple House wasn't a bad old man, but he understood perfectly that his time had already passed. Then there was Duke Amelius ton Lavaelle, who did nothing to hide is hatred of me. I chuckled, imagining the face of the Green House Head in a few minutes.

"Georg, it seems to me that your happiness is misplaced," Emperor August royl Toll ton Akad stated harshly, taking a seat at the head of the large table. "The accusations against you are many, and they are quite serious in nature. This time, it will be I who reads them."

Katerina tapped my foot imperceptibly under the table, calling me to act serious. I nodded to the Emperor and tried to get the stupid grin off my face. At that time, the chair at the Emperor's right hand was occupied by the Dark Mother, and to the left, Space Marshal of the Imperial Star Fleet Abram Kovel was taking a seat.

"Georg, fix your Crown, it is leaning to the right. The camera is not centered," Popori de Cacha's voice came through the micro-headphone in my ear. He was watching through a camera affixed between the huge rubies on my crown. I readjusted the golden band.

"So then, we have quorum. Let's begin, I suppose," said August, asking me whether I understood why I was being called for a trial before the Emperor.

"To be honest, not very well, your Imperial Majesty. All of my actions were directed at ensuring the safety of the Empire, and carrying out your orders, Emperor August. I didn't even impede Marian Sabati in any fashion, as the wanted Truth Seeker was your personal psionic and was doing your bidding. From time to time, her actions clearly drifted outside the bounds of Imperial law – for example, when the Orange House Head, Duke Avalle royl Anjer ton Mesfelle was murdered, or when the same Great House's treasury was robbed, or when sabotage occurred on my flagship in the midst of a serious battle with the Aliens, or when collecting materials on my government. But I still held my servants back and did not obstruct your spy in any way, my Emperor."

Once again, I was not able to hold back my smile, as August couldn't maintain his imperturbable visage, and was starting to look angry. I suppose that a significant number of the accusations the Emperor was planning to roll out against me were connected precisely with Marian Sabati's activity. I, though, was working proactively.

"I have evidence that the wanted psionic Marian Sabati was working for your Imperial Majesty," I stated, as August was taking too long to answer. "If need be, I could present it."

"No, that won't be necessary," said the Dark Mother, answering in her master's place. "We are gathered here for other reasons, and Marian being my protégée has nothing to do with them."

"Also, the topics I am interested in are much more serious than one Truth Seeker's antics," said August, coming to life and rejoining the conversation. "Georg, I am deeply upset. Because of you, the Iseyek have become completely unmanageable. They are creeping over the galaxy at an unstoppable pace, capturing one human-inhabitable planet after the other. They've even had the gall to take vassals from us! The Swarm is the most serious threat to the Empire that exists, so it must be stopped! Yet you coddle the insects and make concessions to them. You give them military technology and strengthen our potential enemy in many other ways! I am very unhappy with that and demand that you explain your actions!"

Here the Head of the Green House wedged his way into the conversation, slightly out of place:

"Together with the accusations made by the Emperor, I would like to raise the issue of the trapped Green House squadron. It was sent to our border with the Iseyek precisely to serve as a counterweight to the Swarm, but the ruler of Unatari blocked it in! He played right into our opponents' hands! That is bordering on treason!"

I stood up, looked directly at the head of the Green House and, with unhidden mockery in my voice, said:

"Duke Amelius ton Lavaelle, I would like to remind you that openly lying in the presence of the Emperor is a very stupid tact. I have irrefutable evidence that the Green House armada's movement was in no way connected with the Iseyek, and that the Swarm was in no way mentioned in the fleet's original mission. The Green House ships were on their way to attack Unatari State planets, which are Imperial core territory. We have a crystal drive with a recording of our interrogation of the First Strike Fleet's commander, Demyen royl Amelius ton Lavaelle. We could present it, if necessary."

My cousin Katerina, expressionless, placed the data crystal on the table. The Space Marshal reached for the drive, preparing to place it into his screen, but I intercepted his arm:

"One minute. I would like to generously offer Duke Amelius ton Lavaelle one last chance to retract his worthless accusation before we watch the recording. If he does not, evidence will be presented of premeditated slander, and the intentional dissemination of false information in a trial before the Emperor himself. That is a very serious violation of Imperial law, and would have to be punished by revocation of title."

The Head of the Green House stared at me for a few seconds, but then turned his gaze away and said loudly:

"I retract my accusation! Perhaps my son misinformed me on the true goal of the military campaign. But I want to know, what is the current location and status?"

"Of your son, or the fleet?" I couldn't hold back from the jab. "Crown Prince Demyen has been released to the four winds, alive and well. I suspect that he is on his way to the Green House as we speak. Baroness Veronica ton Taki was released as well. I wouldn't dare keep yet another of the Emperor's personal Truth Seekers."

The reaction to that was worth seeing! In Duke Amelius' eyes, confusion and surprise flashed by, and another second later, were replaced by unhidden spite. It seemed the Duke wasn't aware of the Throne World's embedded spy!

A semi-transparent personal message flashed before my eyes, and I focused my gaze on it.

"Duke Amelius requests your support for a motion: lower the standing of Emperor August royl Toll ton Akad. Agree? (Yes/No)"

How wonderfully unexpected! The old Duke surprised and even delighted me. Not everyone has the resolve to express disapproval to the Emperor in such a public fashion. I chose the option "Yes," and watched as my accuser's face stretched out in surprise. Emperor August sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, reading the system message closely. It should be said that August's standing fell by fourteen points over the course of just a few seconds to +222. Clearly, the head of the Green House hadn't requested that only I participate in the digital attack.

When August opened his eyes, he was seething with manifest rage. The Emperor clearly wasn't accustomed to having his numbers lowered all of a sudden. Fortunately, his hatred wasn't directed at me, though. The Head of the Green House withstood the Emperor's severe gaze with aplomb and merely smiled in reply. While the pair of aristocrats were trying to turn one another to ash with their eyes, the floor was taken by the previously silent Head of the Blue House:

"There's one more accusation that cannot be forgotten. Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky officially promised Blue House systems to my cousin Crown Princess Natalie ton Miro."

I raised my hand and, scanning with my eyes for the Dark Mother, said:

"Stop, stop, stop. It would seem, Duchess, that you have been misinformed. The Unatari State is not planning now and never was planning to go to war with the Blue House. The Dark Mother is here and could verify my words. The conversation with Crown Princess Natalie, in fact, was about a hypothetical situation. If the Aliens, after having destroyed the Red House, were to continue their campaign and move to sweep away the Blue House defenders as well, the Unatari Fleet would be the only force capable of coming to the Blue House's aid and saving it from total destruction. I intended, in my conversation with Crown Princess Natalie, that the reward given to me for that service be very generous, to equal the scale of the favor: at least one of the six Perimeter Sectors belonging to the Blue House."

"I hope that is never allowed to happen," the young Duchess frowned. "The Blue House is the largest in territory, and will never be occupied by enemies. Very well. That accusation has been refuted."

My tongue was itching to tell Crown Princess Ovella that her Blue House was already as good as occupied, as the power really belonged to the Throne House plant Krista, not the Blue House Duchess at all. But I held back, thinking it not the best time. Instead, I returned to the topic of the Green House armada:

"Perhaps those gathered here are not yet aware but, three days ago, the First Green House Strike Fleet surrendered in its entirety to the Unatari State in the Forepost-31 system. Now we are filtering through the captured officers and team members. After all those procedures are completed, those who so desire will have the opportunity to swear allegiance to me and become my subjects. If it pleases the Imperial Joint Chiefs, I will even send these captured starships to Iseyek space. Though I personally don't see any reason for that, as these ships would be more useful to me in other regions of my large state, not only those inhabited by insects."

What I said didn't reach the great leaders immediately. The first to realize it was the Head of the Purple House, Duke Takuro. The old man coughed and asked:

"Georg, I don't think I’ve understood you correctly. You mean to say that the Swarm is part of your State?"

After these words, silence came over the room. I thought the moment ideal to call up the internal interface and accept Triasss Zess's offer. A great many messages came in on star-system sovereignty changes, so many that my eyes started flashing. The final one amused me:

Achievement unlocked: Master of the Hive

Global fame increase. Current value +67

While those gathered were still frozen, their mouths hanging open in surprise, I commented:

"And now, let's get back to the very beginning of the meeting and the words of Emperor August on the hypothetical threat of insect invasion. As the autocratic Master of the Hive, I officially declare the Swarm problem nonexistent. All Iseyek systems, their planets, their armies, and their combat ships are subject to me now. No insect starship will move an inch without my order. Not a single empty planet will be occupied by Iseyek if that is not my will. There is no problem with splitting up trophies from the war with the Aliens; all the systems and combat starships that were captured by the Aliens belong to Unatari in one way or another."

In the silence that came over the room, the first words spoken by the Dark Mother sounded out especially distinctly:

"Very bad. The Swarm was a problem all on its own. Now, then, in its strengthened state, with additional systems, new technology and a good fleet commander, the Swarm has become an unacceptable threat, whose existence we can never tolerate. Neither I, nor the Emperor will allow such a force to be under anyone's control but the Throne World's."

I was utterly thrown off and turned to August:

"Your Imperial Majesty, was it not you who gave me the mission of strengthening the Unatari State Fleet at any cost? Do you not need my fleet as strong as possible to invade the Antagonists?"

The Emperor smiled, or more accurately bared his teeth predatorily and, looking me right in the eyes, said:

"Georg, the invasion of the Antagonists will begin one day, but it is not certain to be today, or even in a year. The fact that Swarm ships are moving without order while their King is in the Throne World, though, leaves me with a much greater imperative! I cannot allow such a historic moment to slip by. Guards, take him alive! No need to use kid gloves with the others, either!"