Paying the Price (Book 5 of The Empire of Bones Saga) (19 page)

Carl understood now. Of course they wouldn’t believe him. They’d be certain he created the flip point as a byproduct of his research into quantum communications. The emperor’s plan was clever. They’d all jump to the wrong conclusion and the emperor could protect the truth for as long as he wanted to.

Only Carl would have to let people believe he’d done something he hadn’t. He’d have to allow them to shower him with praise he hadn’t earned. He might win an award he didn’t deserve. And only he would likely know what a monstrous fraud he was.

He bowed his head. “I’ll do what I need to do to protect the secret, Majesty. Whatever it takes.”

“Excellent. As you’ve just become one of the most valuable resources in the Empire, I’m taking it upon myself to see you stay safe.

“Major Ellis. I’ve spoken with my daughter and she’s agreed to release you to my service. Now that she’s home, we can have the Imperial Guard resume protective duties for her. You’ve done a tremendous job and that means you get a more difficult one.”

He grinned. “I’m placing you in charge of protecting this brilliant young man. Continue to use the people you’re familiar with and requisition whatever equipment you require. Keep him safe.”

She opened her mouth with what looked to Carl to be an objection, but closed it with the words unspoken. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Excellent. Mister Owlet, I look forward to reading your unredacted dissertation. Take a few days to see the city and meet with the university officials. Enjoy yourself. You’ve earned the down time. And when you get that shield ready, I want to see it in action.”

His smile turned a little sly toward the marine officer. “And Major, don’t let your position as his protector stop you from dating, if that’s how things roll. That’s an order.” He headed for the hatch. “Until we meet again.”

Once the emperor and Doctor Leonard had departed, the two of them stared at one another silently.

Well, this was going to be awkward.

Chapter Seventeen

Nathaniel Breckenridge waited impatiently for the Fleet Marines guarding the prison facility to scan him for weapons. They didn’t seem the type he could intimidate with his position, so browbeating them into moving faster wouldn’t work.

Pity. He really wanted to take his frustration out on someone.

The senior marine finally nodded. “You’re clear, Senator. This way, please.”

He led Nathaniel down the corridor to a lift. This section of Orbital One was completely isolated from the rest of the station. Only one way in or out. One heavily guarded way.

As the head of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, Nathaniel had the access to know there were just over a hundred prisoners serving time here. A few hard cases were in maximum security, which seemed a bit redundant. This was already the most heavily secured prison in the system.

The lift deposited them on a different level and the marine brought him to a small room that looked as though it was set up for meetings between prisoners and their counsel. Which was exactly what he’d be using it for today, he admitted grimly.

Wallace was already there, dressed in a garishly orange ship’s suit. One without any rank insignia or even a nametag. All it had was a number on the front and rear.

His nephew stood awkwardly. They’d cuffed his wrists with a long length of wire going through a loop on the table. A glance confirmed they’d also shackled his legs.

“Release him,” Nathaniel said coolly.

The marine shook his head. “I’m sorry, Senator, but I can’t do that. The prisoner has been violent in the past and it’s standard procedure—”

“I don’t care what your procedure is,” Nathaniel snarled. “Wallace Breckenridge is a decorated Fleet captain. I’m in no danger. Remove his restraints. Now.”

The marine gave him a long look and then backed down. “If the prisoner attacks you, or resists being led back to confinement, that’s on you, Senator.”

Nathaniel looked at his nephew sternly. “Captain Breckenridge won’t give you any further trouble. Will you, Wallace?”

His nephew’s sullen expression didn’t look promising. Nathaniel slapped his hand on the table, making the younger man jump.

“That requires a response, Wallace.”

“No,” his nephew said. “I won’t cause any problem when we’re done.”

Nathaniel waited for the marine to remove the restraints and withdraw. As both an Imperial Senator and a licensed Imperial counsel, he knew they wouldn’t record this meeting. So he could say exactly what he needed to.

He sat across from his nephew and waited for him to sit. “What the devil did you think you were doing? Could you have blundered more badly if you tried?”

“All I did was what duty required of me, Uncle Nathaniel. Mertz violated every regulation when he—”

“Bullshit. You tried to force your way on them out of spite and it blew up in your face. For God’s sake, you kidnapped an Imperial princess.”

“It was for her own protection,” Wallace insisted stubbornly. “She’s not right in the head. Those implant things drove her crazy. Megalomania. Mertz, too. Once the facts come out, I’ll be free and he’ll be locked up in here.”

Nathaniel shook his head. It was worse than he’d imagined possible. The idiot actually thought he was doing the right thing.

“So why did your own chief medical officer clear Mertz and her, then? Doesn’t that undercut your argument?”

“Of course not. The man was obviously Mertz’s secret supporter. He couldn’t just let him pass the exam and then flunk the princess. I had to disregard his bias. My own cool detachment was what was needed to make sense of the situation.”

Nathaniel felt his stomach do a slow roll. “My sister would be horrified if she were still alive. I have some sad news for you, Wallace. The emperor has already accepted the validity of the Imperial edict. The Senate will fight it, but I’m not sure they even have the authority to fight him on this issue.

“Frankly, if you weren’t buried in this up to your eyebrows, I’d be inclined to accept it on general principles. Now I have to try to save your sorry ass. What the devil were you thinking?”

“This is ridiculous, Uncle! I was doing what was best for the Empire.”

“Really? Let’s leave aside your poor judgement in kidnapping the second in line to the Imperial Throne. I’d like to hear your justification for the battle of Erorsi. Not why it happened, but why you did what you did. I can assure you that the court martial will be addressing it shortly.”

“Let them,” Wallace said flatly. “I was following Fleet doctrine in a bad situation. The enemy proved to be much more capable than we expected. It happened so damned fast.

“One second things were going as planned, the next the enemy destroyer was firing missiles from a ridiculous range. Captains Macumber and Cooley made some serious errors in judgement. That cost them their ships and a lot of good people.”

Nathaniel considered his nephew. He wasn’t a Fleet officer, but even he knew that wasn’t true. At least not in reality.

“What about the warnings that Mertz gave you about the destroyer. Not just in the briefing—which they recorded, by the way—but also in a message before you engaged. He told you it was faster and better armed than any of your ships, did he not?”

“Yes, but that assessment made no sense. A little ship like that couldn’t have that kind of capability.”

“Yet it did. Just as Mertz said. Just as the prosecution will prove he told you multiple times. And you still sent those ships to fight the destroyer while you went after a freighter with your heavy cruiser.”

He shook his head. “You know what I’d say if I was prosecuting this case? That you were afraid. That you scuttled away to avoid a fight you’d probably have lost.”

The statement so outraged his nephew that the man sat there sputtering.

“I have no doubt someone will mention it at your trial,” Nathaniel continued relentlessly. “And the jury will be hard pressed to dismiss the charge. Cowardice in the face of the enemy is a serious offense, is it not? Why did you go after the freighter, Wallace?”

The other man slouched in his chair. “I wanted to seize the computers and cargo for the Empire. I knew the princess would give it away. Just like she gave everything else away. The woman is mad. She
shot
me!”

Nathaniel imagined she’d enjoyed doing so. His respect for the Imperial family went up a notch.

“Let me tell you what they’re going to charge you with,” Nathaniel said without addressing his nephew’s objections. “First, disobeying a number of lawful orders.”

He held up a finger to silence his nephew’s objection. “I don’t care that you think they weren’t valid. Your lawyer will do his best to get them thrown out. Just listen.

“Second will be a series of charges that you were derelict in your duty. That your actions led to the destruction of three ships and thousands of dead Fleet officers and men. Third, and most damning, treason. When you defied Princess Kelsey, you stood up to the emperor himself. You can be sure he will lay the charge before the Senate and I doubt I can stop that trial, either.”

He let that sink in. “If the edict stands, then you knowingly and willfully defied her instructions and kidnapped her. It’s the same as if you’d done it to Emperor Karl. And that, you idiot, was beyond stupid.

“I have no idea if I can save you. At best, you’re going to lose your commission and go to prison for a very long time. I can’t imagine an outcome where that doesn’t happen. At worst, they’ll execute you. You
do
remember that treason is a capital offence, don’t you?”

“But, everything I did was for the Empire!” Wallace almost wailed. “How can this be happening? I’ve always been a loyal officer, doing what I needed to keep the Empire safe. This is all Mertz’s fault. And the princess, but mostly Mertz.”

Nathaniel sagged a little. Even now, his nephew refused to take responsibility for his actions. And honesty compelled him to admit that he’d protected Wallace for far too long.

This was going to end badly. He’d do everything in his power to salvage what he could, but a drunk counsel just out of school could convict the man. He’d given them too much proof and done too many irredeemable things.

All that mattered now was the family name. Nathaniel would save it, even from Wallace. Somehow.

* * * * *

Elise went down to the surface of Avalon in the same cutter as William Hawthorne and Reginald Bell. All three of them had appointments with the Department of Imperial Affairs.

The older man’s situation would be the easiest for the Empire to deal with, she imagined. He and his people had continued to fight the rebels and they’d agreed they were still Imperial subjects. That should lead to a very smooth transition.

She smiled. He was the last surviving person from the Old Empire. She imagined that meant he was automatically a citizen here. And his Fleet back pay would be an impressive sum. If anyone thought of that angle.

Lord Hawthorne would have a more difficult time of it. His world was Imperial, but had fallen to the rebels. They wanted to keep the existing power structure and certain agreements they’d made with Kelsey. The Empire would probably balk a little at that, but they’d have to set a precedent for all the other worlds under the sway of the Rebel Empire.

In her case, the Kingdom of Pentagar was a formerly Imperial world that had been isolated by the rebellion. They’d thought they were the last bastion of the Empire. They’d formed their own government and had no intention of acknowledging that the Empire—any empire—had sovereignty over them.

Pentagar would remain a close ally of the Empire. Nothing more. That would make for some sparks, she imagined.

The cutter landed at the spaceport and the Fleet crewmen saw them off. A delegation from the Department of Imperial Affairs awaited them. It looked as though they’d decided that three separate groups would be appropriate.

A woman in a pale green dress stepped over to her. “Welcome to Avalon, Highness. I’m Brenda Winters, a senior negotiator at the Department of Imperial Affairs. Someone will see to your bags while I escort you to the department. I’ll also be working with you to clarify our governments’ relationship.”

Elise smiled and extended her hand. “You could’ve sent someone to pick me up. Unless you want to start negotiating in the grav car.”

The other woman returned her smile. “No, but I’ll admit I had an ulterior motive. I wanted to see Mister Bell with my own eyes. It’s so astonishing that he was alive before the Empire fell. That he was a serving Fleet officer. Not to say that I wasn’t looking forward to meeting you,” she hastily added.

Elise laughed. “I completely understand and take no offense. In fact, I’d be pleased to introduce you later. He’s quite the storyteller.”

She watched the other two groups moving toward separate grav vans. The large vehicles allowed enough room for both parties, including the guards they’d all brought down to Avalon. Not that they needed them, but the guards did display a certain level of status.

Reginald had argued against the tactic, but she’d convinced him that he was representing a planetary government. William had helped her argue the point and the older man had acquiesced.

A third grav van was awaiting them. Elise allowed the other woman to lead her and the pair of Royal Guards accompanying her in that direction.

“I’d like to raise a point that I suspect Mister Bell won’t mention on his own,” Elise said. “He was trapped on Erorsi during a Fleet assignment. One that he’s been performing for more than five hundred years.

“There’s the matter of Fleet advancement and back pay. As I said, he’d never mention the issue on his own, but as a Fleet icon, I’d imagine you’d want to do something about that. He’s dedicated centuries to carrying out his orders. That kind of loyalty demands recognition.”

The other woman stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes wide. “I hadn’t even considered that. Oh, my God.” She laughed. “Some Fleet accountant is going to die on the spot. I’ll be certain to pass that along, because you’re absolutely right.”

Elise climbed into the grav van with a satisfied expression. The older man would try to duck any awards or money. He’d say they wouldn’t do him much good at this point in his life. Still, it was a matter of principle.