Wrath of Axia (The Arcadian Jihad) (30 page)

“The President? Why didn’t you say it was for him? Damnit, he’ll go crazy if everything isn’t done properly. You,” he nodded at one of his troopers. “Escort them to the President’s wing, and make sure you keep an eye upon them!”

He looked back at Blas. “Get moving, be quick.”

They carried on through the Palace. As they drew nearer the inner sanctum, the guards became more numerous, but their escort was enough for them to be waved through. Blas thought fast, he needed to get rid of the guard. Then he saw a sign on the wall.

“Hey, I need to go, it’s urgent. I ate something bad last night, my stomach is in turmoil.”

The escort sighed. “Couldn’t you have gone before you came here? Alright, but I’ve got to watch all of you. We’ll all have to go in there.”

They walked through the door, Blas first, the guard behind. He walked up to the cubicle, and then turned around. The two women were right behind the escort. They each took an arm and Blas hit him a stunning blow on the head. Alex lowered him gently while Saffron made a grab for his rifle to stop it clattering to the floor.

“We need to put him in the cubicle. I’ll lock the door from the inside and climb over. That rifle will come in useful.”

“If you want his rifle, you’ll have to wear his uniform,” Saffron said. “A maintenance man with a laser rifle will raise a few eyebrows.”

He grinned. “You’re right, I’ll get changed. I should have thought of that.”

Alex went to the door to prevent anyone coming in. Saffron helped him change into the military uniform. While he finished off tightening straps and fastening buttons, she dressed the fallen soldier in Blas’ maintenance uniform. The guard was positioned on the toilet, and he bolted the cubicle door and climbed over the top. They left the facility and continued towards the Presidential wing. They approached the final checkpoint, guarded by eight troopers commanded by a captain.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m escorting these maintenance people to service the President’s aircon, Sir.”

The officer eyed Blas. “Where is your authorization?”

Constantine spread his hands and grinned. “Look, they told me it was a rush job, and to get these people inside to get the job done fast. I haven’t got any authorization. They said they’d get it done right away, but had to get the job done fast.”

The captain stared at him for several seconds. Then he spoke quietly to his men. “Arrest them, make sure they’re disarmed.”

The troopers rushed in and held their arms. One of them put handcuffs on each of them, the captain watched with an expression of disdain.

“I don’t know what you’re after, but you should know that without authorization no one gets past this point. Standing orders are to make the arrest and make the checks afterwards, but I doubt you’re on the level. What are you after? Loot? It seems to me that half the population of the city is trying to steal everything in the city before it falls to the rebels. Was that your plan?”

Blas felt both concerned and relieved. If he took them for simple thieves, they wouldn’t be given the savage treatment that would have been meted out to rebels, or potential assassins.

“Captain, a quiet word?”

The man nodded and they went to one side, out of earshot of the troopers.

“How about a split, fifty-fifty? Half to you and your men.”

The man considered for a few moments. “What loot were you after?”

Blas smiled. “Anything and everything. There’s a fortune in there, and the next President won’t miss it if it isn’t in there when he takes over.”

The captain’s lip curled. “You treasonous dog, this President isn’t going anywhere.” He turned back to his troopers. “Two of you, take them away and lock them up.”

They were marched along a passage, down some steps and further along saw a long line of cell doors. Behind them, they heard a growing hubbub. ‘The platforms have been de-activated and the shields are down. The rebels will be here soon, run!’ Another voice sounded sharp and hard. ‘Hold it, all of you. Anyone that runs will be shot, stand and defend the city.’

So Berg Smetana and his men had reached their objective. Blas felt angry that he had been caught so close to his objective. A black rage descended on him, and as one of the troopers went to push them inside the open cell, he twisted around and dropped to one knee. He used his leg as a scythe, sweeping the man’s legs away from under him. The other guard raised his rifle to smash the butt down on Blas’ head, but Saffron used her shoulder to push him off balance. Alex kicked him hard as he fell, then again and again until he was still. She looked up.

“What now? How can we get rid of these handcuffs, we don’t know the code?”

Blas stooped down and pulled back the cuff of the man’s sleeve. Written on his forearm was a six-digit code. He grinned. “It’s the way soldiers work. They’d change codes and passwords every day, and the average trooper knows he’ll forget, so they write them down.”

They freed themselves from the handcuffs. Blas looked at Alex and Saffron.

“You’re a similar size to those soldiers. If you change into their uniforms, we’ll be three troopers, and it’ll be much easier to pass through palace security.”

They quickly changed into the soldiers’ uniforms. Saffron looked faintly ridiculous, but Alex helped her to tuck in and fold over parts of the uniform so that it was as good a fit as could be achieved. They shared out the weapons and locked the two unconscious soldiers in the cell. It was time to find Fabian Bartok. They started to walk out of the cellblock just in time for the first salvos to hit the city. Admiral Rusal had landed and was attacking.

“We need to find Bartok quickly. He’ll have a bolthole prepared, so when things get bad he’ll make his escape. That’ll mean that the war will never end. Let’s go.”

He felt much better in the soldier’s uniform and carrying a laser rifle. They reached the final checkpoint again, and the captain still stood guard over the inner sanctum.

“Yes, what do you want? Who asked for more soldiers to come here?”

Blas fired a long burst from his rifle that shred the guard detail. There wasn’t time to argue. They pressed on towards the Presidential quarters. As they went along the corridors, the furnishings became more and more sumptuous. Evidently, President Bartok wanted for nothing. They reached the door of the President’s office and went in. Glekka, his secretary, was behind his desk, working though a report. He looked up.

“What do you want? Is there some kind of a problem?” He shuddered as a laser burst struck a nearby building. “Shouldn’t you be doing something about stopping that? Or is there a security problem inside the Palace?”

“There is a security problem. You’re quite correct. Is the President in his office?”

“Of course he is, but what could you want with the President? He’s rather busy. Or haven’t you heard that the city is under attack? Are you deaf as well as stupid? And you can stop pointing that rifle at me.”

“You’re under arrest, Glekka. The charge is treason. We are here at the express command of the President.”

“But, the President is in that office. He said nothing to me about this. What’s going on?”

“The President is Xerxes Tell, not that piece of filth inside that office.”

“Oh, dear God,” Glekka said. “You’re rebels.”

System Standard 2734.1658 Battlecruiser Victorious, above Axis Nova

Rad Bose looked around the huge bridge of his ship. His ship, the most powerful warship ever built. A score of crewmen worked the consoles, calling out the range to the enemy, the weapons and defensive read-outs. It was perfect, and everything was as it should be. It seemed crazy, but he had his puny brother to thank for bringing off this miracle. One moment in a cell awaiting the rope, and the next he was back in command of the most powerful warship in the fleet. He looked across at Pieter, sitting smirking in the Admiral’s chair. He could let him enjoy his moment of triumph as he’d earned it. He called out to the sensor operator.

“Range to enemy?”

“One hundred and fifty miles, Admiral. Do you want us to open fire?”

He shook his head. “No. Let them get nearer. When we do hit them, we’ll deliver such a heavy blow that they’ll turn tail and run. If they have anything left to run with.”

He watched Rusal’s ships grow larger on the screen. He had to admit that the rebels had done well. Despite being outnumbered, they’d delivered some telling blows to his ships. It was all about to change. He decided it was time to give Pieter the praise he was waiting for.

“You did damn well to pull this off, Pieter. How did you manage to convince the President to commute my sentence and reinstate me?”

Pieter grinned broadly. He enjoyed his brother praising him in front of so many of the ship’s company.

“I just told him the truth. Once he knew that he poisoned the wrong man five years ago, the rest was easy. I told him that Xerxes Tell has been held a prisoner on our plantation on Hesperia. It means that we can produce all the evidence we need to unseat Fabian Bartok if he doesn’t play ball. He had no choice but to do as I told him. So don’t ever call me a fool, Rad. If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead by now.”

But Rad Bose wasn’t looking at his brother. He had seen the astonished stares of his crew. He walked across to the Admiral’s chair. “Why don’t you keep your fucking mouth shut, Pieter?”

Pieter looked around and realized with horror that in his triumphant joy he’d said more than he intended to.

“Oh yes, of course. I didn’t mean it! It was all just a joke.”

But the looks of the crew suggested they didn’t see it quite that way.

“Enemy fleet at fifty miles, Sir. We need to open fire now. At this range they could destroy us if they fire first.”

Rad Bose looked quickly at the screens. “Very well, prepare to fire. We’ll hit them with everything we’ve got. I want to put that rebel flagship out of action with the first salvo.”

System Standard 2734.1657 Battlecruiser Rigella on approach to Axis Nova

Enemy flagship at fifty miles, Sir. That’s the Victorious! If she fires first she could hit us hard.”

Rusal stood on his bridge. He couldn’t sit. He paced around, checking the readiness of his crew while watching the approach of the massive Battlecruiser. The truth was he needed to pace so that he could think. There was no need to check the crew, for they were all veterans. He was torn between two impulses. The first was that of any military man, to hit the enemy first and hard, to smash them before they had a chance to do the same to you. And yet! Xerxes Tell had spoken to him about the growing revolt. If there was any chance of saving life, he was to take it, even at risk to his own. They hadn’t opened fire yet, so were they waiting to get even closer to make sure of a kill on the first salvo? Or had the revolt spread even as far as the Victorious? He weighed the options. He needed to protect his crew and his ship. But his inclination was to take a chance, a gamble that could save thousands of lives.

“Helmsman, try to keep us away from the Victorious, and don’t let her any nearer. Comms officer, open a channel to the enemy flagship. I have to speak to them. Keep President Tell’s address broadcasting. I want everyone to hear it. Weapons officer, drop the shields, but be ready to raise them if that ship looks about to shoot.”

There was a stunned silence. What he proposed could condemn them all to a terrible death. Yet they all trusted their commander, to a man. So far, he had led a brilliant campaign. So far! The bridge screen filled with the image of Rad Bose. He looked hard and vicious.

“Admiral Rusal, do you wish to surrender?”

His lips curled as he spoke, enjoying his feeling of absolute superiority.

“Admiral Bose, I send you greetings from President Tell. You know by now that most of your people are already in revolt. Why don’t you stop it now?”

“You mean surrender? When I have the most powerful ship in the fleet? I could blast you out of space, Rusal. Give me a reason not to.”

“To save life, Rad. You know that you’re working for a tyrant, a traitor. Hold your fire, let us land on Axis Nova and put an end to this nonsense. It is time the President who was elected by the people is reinstated.”

Rad appeared to think for a few moments. Then his face creased into an evil grin. “I think not, Rusal. I prefer the President I worked to put into power, not the weakling you people want restored in the Presidential Palace. Goodbye, Admiral.”

“Shields up, reverse course, get us out of here fast!” Rusal shouted.

The ship lurched as the sudden evasive action overcame the stabilizers and crewmen had to hold to the nearest fixture to stop being flung around the bridge.

“Shall I open fire, Sir?”

“No, not yet. Wait. They haven’t fired, and it’s just possible that they’ll refuse Bose’s order. Let’s see what happens.”

System Standard 2734.1658 Presidential Palace, Lyra City, Axis Nova

Blas looked around the office. There was a door that led directly into Bartok’s quarters.

“Glekka, can you get us in there?”

He shook his head. “Impossible! Only the President can unlock that door. I have to contact him first and tell him who has arrived for an audience.”