Wrath of Axia (The Arcadian Jihad) (31 page)

“In that case, make up a story and get us in there. Unless you want to die.”

The secretary shivered. “I can’t do that, he would have me arrested for treason, and I’d be executed.”

“You’ll be executed now if you don’t, so make up your mind. He can’t arrest you, if he’s no longer the President.”

Glekka sat frozen with indecision until Blas lifted the laser rifle. “Alright, alright, I’ll do it. I’ll say you’re representatives from the planetary militia.”

“Do it.”

They heard Bartok’s irritated response to the call. “What do they want? Don’t they know I’m busy fighting these rebels?”

“They said it was a matter of the utmost important, Sir. They wouldn’t speak to anyone else.”

There was sigh and then a pause. “Very well, send them in.”

“Sit here and keep quiet. Alex, would you keep watch over this man. We don’t need anyone coming in behind us while we’re dealing with Bartok.”

“Of course, and I wish you luck with the swine. Are you planning to execute him?”

Blas grinned. “Nothing like that, but I want him to announce the surrender to Xerxes Tell.”

She nodded. “Don’t trust him, not for a second.”

“I won’t. One more thing, it would be helpful to turn off the mind suppression field. We may yet need your powers if things go wrong. Glekka, can you shut it down?”

The President’s secretary looked doubtful. “I could try, although I’m not sure if I should.” He adopted a sly expression. “What would be in it for me if I could manage to do it?”

“We’ll let you live.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

The door lock indicator showed unlocked and they walked through. Bartok was sitting behind his huge, wooden desk. It was the biggest and most opulent piece of furniture either of them had ever seen.

“Yes, what is it?”

“Fabian Bartok, you’re under arrest for treason.”

The man looked up. His eyes showed fear and then anger. “What are you doing here? I’m the President of the Nine Systems. I’ll have you arrested and hung for treason if you don’t get out.”

“Not any more, Bartok. Your crooked and corrupt reign is over. The rightful President, Xerxes Tell, is coming back here to reclaim what is his by right of the people.”

“Don’t be absurd. I tell the people what is theirs by right. They don’t tell me. Now put down that rifle!”

His confidence had returned and Blas wondered what had changed. Then a hidden door flew open behind him and troopers poured through to cover him.

“Drop your guns, both of you!”

Their leader, a captain, pointed his rifle directly at his stomach. Blas looked with dismay at the armored force, Bartok’s personal guard. As well as the captain, ten troopers armed with laser weapons covered him. It was useless. He and Saffron lowered their guns. Bartok came up to him and punched him in the face. It was a weak punch, but it still hurt, more to his pride than anything else.

“That’ll teach you to attempt treason. You dogs, you’ll all go the same way. Captain, take them away and prepare them for execution.”

“Yes, Sir. What about the trial?”

Bartok laughed. “Trial? There will be no trial, they’re both guilty, get rid of this rubbish. Take them out and kill them.”

“Yes, Sir.”

The captain gestured for his men to take Blas and Saffron out. They started to move forward, then stiffened and stopped. Saffron walked up to the men and stared at them.

“You will take Fabian Bartok and put him in a cell awaiting trial. He is under arrest. Is that clear? The charge is treason.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“You can’t do this to me!” Bartok screamed. “I am the President of the Nine Systems. Take your hands off me!”

They ignored him and bundled him out of the door. Blas guessed what had happened.

“Did they switch of the mind suppressor?”

She smiled. “They did. Alex is in the outer office covering our backs, so no one will get in here now.”

“Good, we need to broadcast the surrender. Would you get Glekka in here, he’ll know how to make all this work.”

A half-minute later Glekka rushed into the office and began switching through the comms console. He turned to Blas.

“It’s all ready now. Anyone hearing this transmission knows that it comes from the Presidential office. “

“You tell them that what they are about to hear is the wishes of the authentic President. Then leave it to me.”

“If you wish. I trust you’ll keep your word about sparing my life.”

“As long as you cooperate, you’ll be safe.”

System Standard 2734.1658 Battlecruiser Victorious, above Axis Nova

Bose watched his prey hurtle away, but they were too late. The damn fools even had their shields lowered. It was going to be a quick and easy victory. He was about to give the order when his comms officer called to him.

“Sir, a message is coming from the President’s office. All ships are to stand down. The battle is over, and President Tell is to be returned to power.”

“What! That’s impossible! We don’t need to ceasefire! We’ve got them beat, and no one can oppose this ship. Weapons officer! Open fire!”

He waited for the awe-inspiring salvo that would smash the warship that was trying to maneuver away from them. First, the lights on the ship would dim as the gun batteries drew massive power away from the ship’s engines and life support systems. Then the heavy beams that would probe out to their targets. Finally, the display of fireworks as the enemy was dispatched to hell. But there was only silence.

“Weapons officer, fire! Quick, man, they’re getting away!”

“I’m sorry, Sir, but cannot obey that order. The ceasefire is in force. We all heard it. To shoot at them now would be a war crime, and I won’t do it!”

Pieter Bose was still at the back of the bridge, watching the drama of the impending naval action. He was looking forward to the destruction of his one-time despised senior officer, Quentin Rusal. He wanted to pay him back for every petty slight, for the insults, for the times he’d prevented Pieter from making even more profits from the plantations by refusing to allow military prisoners to be worked to death. This weapons officer was about to snatch his moment of revenge from him. He snatched out his pistol.

“I’ll deal with this traitor, Rad. You, man. Fire main batteries, now!”

The officer stood unmoving next to his console. Pieter shot him and the body slumped to the deck.

“Rad, who is his second in command? We’ll get him to shoot.”

“Pieter, would you put the gun down. It’s all over. Don’t shoot any more of my crew or I’ll shoot you myself.” Rad had recognized the inevitable, and if he didn’t stop Pieter now, his crew would fall on both brothers like a pack of dogs to defend themselves.

“But we can still…”

“Put it down or I’ll shoot!”

Pieter put his pistol back in the holster. Rad heaved a sigh of frustration.

“Navigator, prepare a course for Hesperia. We’re going home.”

System Standard 2734.1659 Battlecruiser Rigella, Lyra City spaceport.

Rusal walked down the ramp and stepped onto the soil of Axis Nova for the first time in five years. It felt good. Berg Smetana was waiting to escort him through the city in case there were any Tricon fanatics waiting to take a shot at him. He shook the hand of his Hesperian comrade.

“I trust you didn’t suffer too many casualties, Berg?”

“A few,” he shrugged. “It could have been a lot worse. We beat the bastards, Quentin.”

Rusal smiled. “We beat them, yes. Have you seen Constantine?”

“They’re coming out to meet us. They took care of Bartok and I sent some of my men in to relieve them. They’ll be here shortly.”

Rusal looked around the spaceport. Because the major battle they had prepared for had been avoided, it was undamaged by war. It meant that he could overhaul and service his fleet here. His crews would be able to take some leave in Lyra City. Colonel Glen joined him.

“I’m afraid there’s no business for your marines, Colonel. The city is secure, so you can arrange for the men to take some leave.”

As he spoke Blas came across the port to join them.

“Yes, Sir. The men would appreciate something to spend while they’re on leave.”

“Colonel Glen,” Blas shook his hand. “We have the Presidential office and treasury under guard, and I think the Admiral would agree to some back pay. The crew has earned it. I would suggest one year’s pay, effective immediately.”

In the background there was a ragged cheer as the word went around. “Colonel, I’ll contact the secretary, Glekka, and tell him to give the crews their pay. Enjoy your stay on Axis Nova.”

“I trust it will soon become Arcadia I again, Constantine.”

“You can count on it.”

“Constantine, there’s a loose end we need to tie up,” Berg said.

“Yes, I know. The Bose brothers, do we know where they are?”

“Only one place they’d run to,” Berg replied. “Hesperia. Admiral, could we take the Magellan? If we can catch them on the ground, we can finish this. I’d like to arrest both of them and see them on trial for war crimes.”

Rusal nodded. “Agreed. Good luck, do you need any more men?”

Berg smiled. “My men are enough, and they’d give anything to get a crack at those two bastards. Besides, we have the crew of the Magellan. Constantine, do you wish to be in at the end?”

“I do, yes. Alex, would you prepare the Magellan for departure?”

“With pleasure.”

They made their way back to Alex’s ship and boarded. Blas and Saffron went to their quarters and he opened a bottle of Hesperian wine. “I think it’s time we drink a toast, Saffron. This will be the end of the war. It’s almost all over.”

They toasted with their full glasses of wine and drank them down.

“Not quite over, Constantine. We have unfinished business. There is the matter of Evelyn’s wish.”

“I thought you’d forgotten,” he smiled.

“How could I forget? I keep telling you, our minds were one. Inside my thoughts, I am her, as she was me.”

“It’s all very confusing, Saffron.”

She looked at him with a face that was both solemn and serious. “I’ll do my best to untangle it.”

The journey to Hesperia was uneventful. To their relief, the Victorious had landed at Tulum spaceport so that there was no obstacle to their arrival. Admiral Rusal had supplied the codes to de-activate the planetary defenses and they landed without being fired on. As soon as the ramp dropped down, Smetana raced out at the head of his men.

“I want to see those bastards hang for what they did to the people of my planet,” he roared.

Blas put his hand on his comrade’s shoulder. “Berg, we don’t want to be as bad as they were. They need to go in front of a court.”

Smetana turned around and gave him a peculiar look. “I’ll make you a promise, Constantine. Neither I, nor my men, will harm a hair on their heads. We won’t touch them or harm them at all.”

Blas nodded and watched the warband exit the spaceport.

“Do you think he’ll keep his promise?” Saffron asked him.

He nodded. “Yes, I believe he will. Berg has never broken a promise to anyone. That’s not the problem.”

“What is the problem?” Alex Yalonda asked. She’d just come down the ramp after securing her ship.

“It’s just that Berg is the most cunning warrior in the universe. He hates the Bose brothers for the destruction and misery they caused to his beloved Hesperia. I’ve got this nasty feeling that he’s got something bad cooked up for them. I wouldn’t like to be in their shoes. I suggest we go into the city and try and find out what’s going on.”

They armed themselves with laser pistols. Alex took a small squad, four troopers from her ship, as a guard in case the planet wasn’t completely in the hands of the rebels.

System Standard 2734.1661 Governor’s Mansion, Tulum City, Hesperia.

“It’s all over, Pieter. Make sure you’ve got everything packed ready to go. We’ll be lucky to get away as it is, and I’m not sure I can persuade the crew of the Victorious to take off.”

Pieter Bose was in the process of downloading his financial details to a portable data drive. He turned to his brother.

“I wouldn’t worry about it, Rad. We’ve got enough money in these accounts to buy two Battlecruisers. All we need is a fast ship to get us off planet. Can you arrange for something if your crew refuses to take us? We can pay, you know. Money is not a problem.” He laughed a shrill, almost hysterical laugh. “I’ll bet we’ve got more money than the treasury in Axis Nova. We could take a bath in gold and still have money left over.”

“That’s nice for you.”

They whirled around. Berg Smetana had entered the room, and behind him was a heavily armed squad of his men. Pieter didn’t recognize him at first, but Rad knew who he was and slowly put up his hands.

“Who the hell are you? If you’re looking for something to steal, you can take anything you want,” Pieter said, again, that hysterical laugh.