Sword of Axia (The Arcadian Jihad) (10 page)

“In one hour and two minutes we jump to just outside the orbit of Corazon. Provided their primary defense systems have been taken down, we’ll be able to land on the surface of the planet once we’ve finished off their secondary defense systems.”

“And if they haven’t been taken down?” Guide Tell asked him anxiously.

“Then we’ve got a fight on our hands. We’d better go forward and see how things are on the bridge.”

The door hissed open and they looked out to the hum of activity on the spacious bridge of the Battlecruiser.

“Captain Blas, is everything ready?” Rusal asked.

“We’re ready, Admiral. I’d take this fleet to hell and back.”

“I don’t want you to go to hell,” Guide Tell said gently. “Only Corazon.”

Blas smiled ruefully. “I’m afraid that’s a much tougher nut to crack, Sir. We have to hope that Berg takes down their main defense systems.”

“And will he succeed?”

“He rarely fails, Sir. If anyone can do it he can. We’ll know soon enough.”

Blas had given him a truthful answer, if not the one he wanted. He looked at both leaders, Admiral Rusal and Guide Tell, architects of the fightback against the Axians, he wished he could say something more to reassure them. The truth was he was as worried as they were, there was so much that could go wrong. If Smetana’s sabotage was discovered too early, the Axians would go to maximum alert and put the orbiting defense platforms on manual control, they’d be almost as dangerous of ever.

System Standard 2728.1273 Lyra City, Axis Nova

Grand Pasha Merca Gluck was at the head of the huge, polished wood table in the glittering Meeting Room One, situated in the former presidential palace on Axis Nova. He was alone, savoring for a short time the sumptuous trappings of his office. The walls were lined with priceless works of art and carefully arranged sculptures, the very finest in the Nine Systems. The room had been the President’s diplomatic reception hall, calling it a meeting room was almost a deceit. But wasn’t that the way to rule such a vast population as he had responsibility for? Obviously there wasn’t enough to go around for everyone, the art of rule was to make promises, convince the people that they would be better off under the Axians and then blame the opposition when the wonderful future failed to materialize. Wasn’t that the way of politics since the dawn of man? In the meantime, he was free to govern in the way that he felt was best for everyone. Almost free, that is, there were one or two obstacles to overcome. He remembered his two deputies, waiting outside to be summoned. It was as well he kept them waiting, they really ought to understand who wielded true power on Axis Nova. He pressed the button on the intercom.

“Rad, send them in.”

Rad Bose, his personal secretary, ushered the two men into the room. Bose, lean and hard, was a twenty-eight year old veteran of the Axian Freedom Front, the violent stormtroopers who had been at the forefront of the Axian campaign. He had only been with Gluck for a few months, but in that time he’d shown himself to be utterly loyal and ruthless. His sole priority was his own advancement and he knew that everything rested on his faithful and unquestioning service to the Grand Pasha. Gluck noticed again the scar that ran down the side of his face, souvenir of a Rescom ambush that he’d narrowly fought his way out of. That was what Bose was best at. Fighting. He was a killer, the best.

“Thank you, Rad, please wait outside.” Gluck rose to shake hands with his deputies. “Gentlemen, please sit down.”

He smiled inwardly at their obvious anger at the delay. “There are problems that we need to deal with, serious problems.”

The both looked at him attentively. “We’ve heard nothing of this, Grand Pasha. Which problems, is this to do with the Treasury Department?” Alban Bartok, the plump head of the Bank of Axis Nova scowled at the possibility that his fiefdom might be subject to scrutiny.

Gluck hurried to reassure him. “No, no, it’s nothing like that. Have you heard about this new trouble on Corazon? I believe it’s some kind of a movement they call it Vitas.”

Both men shook their heads. “These things come and go,” Eric Bern scoffed. “They always come to nothing when people realize that they’re based on nonsense, the ramblings of some real or imagined prophet.”

“Ours didn’t,” Gluck said quietly.

Both men stared at him. Did he mean that the sacred word of Axia was nonsense, or did he mean that any religion was based on beliefs that were only true in the mind of the believer? It was best not to ask.

“How bad is it?” Bern asked.

“Very bad. It is opposed to religion, all religion, it’s a humanist movement. That means they’re a potential enemy. The number of converts is increasing on a daily basis, almost hourly. It’s even reached the military, some of our troops on Corazon have joined them.”

“By Ahura, this is sacrilege, it’s terrible,” Bartok wailed. “My organization depends on the goodwill and faith of our converts, if they begin to change their allegiance there could even be a run on the bank. What are we going to do?”

Gluck had been waiting for that question. “I have a proposal that will enable us to stop them in their tracks, but it will need bold action. I intend to declare martial law and call in the troops to root out this heresy.”

Both men looked up in surprise. “Martial law on Corazon? We need to be careful,” Bern said, "almost the entire food supply for the Nine Systems comes from Corazon, we don’t want riots or even worse, a civil war that could spread to other planets.”

“That’s why I’m not suggesting we declare martial law on Corazon. I’m suggesting we declare martial law across the whole of the Nine Systems.”

It was unprecedented, even under the former Rescom regime, when the Axian insurrection was at its height they hadn’t gone as far as to declare martial law. It meant draconian restrictions on the civilian populace and ran a high risk of encouraging even more problems as people rioted against severe restrictions on their daily life. They were also aware that martial law would mean putting all power into the hands of one man. The Grand Pasha, Merca Gluck.

“No, that’s going too far,” Bern said quickly.

“I agree,” Bartok nodded his head. “It could bring the people out in their thousands, millions even, protests, riots. We could have bodies piled in the streets. No, it’s not the answer.”

“It’s a risk we have to take,” Gluck said grimly. “If we don’t act quickly this new movement could develop into something to threaten our very existence. To threaten us even here on Axis Nova, the very shrine to the Prophet Axia.”

Both men stopped to wonder about Axia, as they often did. There was only one person in the known universe that had any personal knowledge of the Great Prophet, which was Merca Gluck himself. Although Axia had been mysteriously killed in the early years of the movement, Gluck had claimed that Axia came to him on three separate occasions while he was meditating on how to ease the severe problems that beset the human race. Problems of how to get enough food, how ease the poverty and misery of many on the poorer planets, how to make the Nine Systems a prosperous place for all. They were working hard to bring about those wonders, it was still early days, not their fault that things had not improved, were even worse in some cases. ‘Keep faith in Axia and paradise will be yours’, that was the slogan. If only Axia would appear to a few more people than just Gluck, preferably themselves.

“No, it can’t be done, we won’t allow it, not martial law.” Bern was emphatic, Bartok nodded his head in agreement.

“There really is no choice, I’m afraid,” Gluck said quietly. “We have to do it. Is that your last word?”

“Absolutely,” Bern replied. “We need to find another way to deal with this new movement. It has to be Rescom behind it, I’m sure it’s a fraud, it has to be. We can just tell the people not to listen to anything they say, it’s just nonsense, plucked out of someone’s head.” As he spoke, Bern thought again of Axia and realized what he was saying. He abruptly went quiet, he’d said enough, it could be dangerous to continue.

“Very well, gentlemen, this meeting is over.” Gluck pressed the button on his desk, Rad Bose opened the door immediately.

“Rad, these men are under arrest, the charge is treason against the Prophet Axia. Take them away and keep them isolated.”

“Yes, Sir. Guards!” He waited while a squad of six Axian troopers marched into the meeting room, all heavily armed and armored. He indicated the two deputies, “take these two traitors to the cells, I’ll be down to check on them later.”

Bartok looked at Gluck, stricken. “Merca, you can’t do this to us, we’re your deputies.”

“Not any longer, you had your chance. In future you will address me as Grand Pasha, what future you have left. Guards, get them out. Rad, come and see me when they’re secure.”

He picked up a document and signed it. A few moments later, Bose came back.

“Rad, take this document to military headquarters, it is a declaration of martial law. It is fully legal, now that the two deputies have been arrested on treason charges I have sole authority to sign it.”

“Yes, Sir. What will it mean in practice to the military?”

“It means, Mr. Bose, that I am now the Supreme Commander of the entire Axian Military with absolute authority across the whole of the Nine Systems.”

System Standard 2728.1273 Surface of Planet Corazon

Every civilian within ten miles of the Planetary Central Power Station had been warned to move out of the danger zone as fast as possible. The evacuation was made easier by the existence of plans to clear the zone in case of an accident. Streams of Corazonians poured out of the area, using ground transports and many on foot. Tens of thousands made their way towards Rystrum, the planetary capital. Troops poured in the opposite direction, sent to deal with the growing emergency at the power station, the increase in radiation had sounded alarms across the entire planet. Berg Smetana looked at Max Biermann, marching alongside him with half a dozen of his squad leaders heading for Rystrum.

“How long before we reach the damned city, Max?”

“About an hour, no more. I’m impressed with the way you’ve got these troops rushing towards that power station, Berg. It’ll wipe them out when it blows, are you sure they won’t be able to disarm it?”

“Positive. The explosive went down into the fuel rods, they’ll never guess it’s there and besides, who’s going to get it out? They’d need to shut down the reactor for weeks before they even start searching. No, that reactor is going sky high, don’t worry about it. Just worry about getting as far away as possible.”

“We’ll still have to fight a couple of thousand troops guarding the city as well as the Axian navy, they’ve got a strong fleet in near space.”

Smetana smiled at his friend’s anxiety. “Look, Max, we’ve been through this. Our own fleet will be here, the flagship is captained by Constantine Blas, I’ve been to hell and back with that man. If he says he’ll be come, he’ll be here. What’s happening up ahead, Max? Let’s take a look, you men, bring your squads up with us.”

A line of Axian troopers blocked the road, stark and threatening in their armor. So far, they hadn’t drawn their blasters, they only held clubs in their hands, but if they were ordered they could draw their blasters and fire in seconds. As they reached the troopers, they heard the officer in charge shout to the crowd, “Turn back and return to your homes.”

Berg looked at his watch. They had forty-five minutes before the reactor blew and they were still not outside the danger zone. He looked at Max and nodded for him to be ready, then walked forward, with a smile on his face.

“Hey there, we’re not doing anything illegal, this is just a peaceful march.”

“Don’t give me that crap, you’re running from the Planetary Central Power Station. There’s no need, we’ve sorted out the problem, it was a false alarm.”

“Officer, I’m not arguing with you, all we want to do is get to Rystrum, these people are going there to listen to one of their representatives speak.”

“No, they’re going back to their homes.”

“On what authority, they have a legal right to go to Rystrum?”

“Not any more they don’t, Axis Nova has declared martial law. The whole of the Nine Systems is under the control of the military, all civil rights and laws have been suspended. Now turn back!”

Berg looked back at Max, who’d edged nearer with his men.

“Look, can’t we just discuss this,” he said with a disarming manner. His hand touched the sleeve of the soldier in a friendly way, the man looked down in annoyance and then crumpled towards the ground, Berg caught him gently and lowered him.

“Quickly, this officer is sick, help.”

The troopers looked confused and lowered their clubs, they ran to assist their fallen officer. It never fails, thought Berg. As they ran laser beams flicked out from the blasters that had suddenly appeared in the hands of Max’s men. Most of the troopers dropped instantly under the hail of fire that cut through their ranks. One man still stood, Berg saw him reaching for his pistol. Smetana moved with the speed and grace of a tiger, in one bound he was on the man, his arm swung and the soldier lay dying in the dust.

“Everybody move on, there isn’t time to delay,” he shouted. The column surged forward. They had thirty-five minutes left.

Thirty minutes later they reached the city gates. The crowed had swelled as word of the impending explosion spread, Smetana estimated that their numbers had grown to a hundred thousand. He’d split them into four groups, so that twenty five thousand could go through each of the four city gates, there wasn’t time to get them all through one gate and out of the direct path of the blast. There were only two guards on the gate. A sergeant stepped in front of them and held up his hand.