CHAPTER 18
The shuttle pulled alongside the Iowa in short order and Alexander’s party entered the ship through a pressurized gangway. Alexander and Nazeera were piped aboard with the usual fanfare, and they then left Augesburcke to his duties, intending to have a quiet lunch together before Nazeera’s departure. A guard of three marines fell in behind them as they made their way to the stateroom. It was an irritating, but standard precaution after the assassination attempt. Nazeera’s complement of two tall Chem fell in behind the Terran marines.
“Really, my dear, I am not looking forward to trading you for your brother. As fond as I am of Nazar it is not equitable. I think the logistics of a galactic war are somewhat simpler than those of a married couple, each being a head of state.”
“Think of it on those terms, Alexander. Let us pick a neutral site where we can conduct recurring “diplomacy.” After all, from what my friends tell me marriage takes more hands on work than running a country!”
“How about Pantrixnia?” Alexander replied, referring to the infamous prison planet upon which he gained galactic notoriety.
“Pantrixnia! I thought you’d seen enough of that!” Nazeera exclaimed, laughing at the idea. “I can see it now: a comfortable jungle retreat perched on the crags overlooking the river and the Tyrannosaur canyon—how delicious!” The horrific planet was designed to accomplish the honorable execution of criminals, and despite Alexander’s unique ability to adapt to its harsh environment the idea of a habitation there was so ludicrous as to be humorous. Nazeera curbed her laughter at the sudden buzz of Alexander’s comlink. It was Admiral Augesburcke.
“Excuse the interruption, Overlord, but we have just received a communiqué from the Alliance. It is direct from the Alliance Pro Consul. I think you ought to hear it.”
Alexander’s brow rose. “Really, is there anything the Alliance could tell me which might matter a wit? Oh. never mind, I’ll be right up Admiral. I’ll take the call in our stateroom.”
They continued down the hall, but a glance at Nazeera revealed that the marines had fallen in behind the Chem. Strangely bothered by this Alexander turned his head to the Elder of Chem as he walked, and so as he spoke he could see the entire party. He waved a hand, telling her, “As you no doubt know, my dear, the Alliance has bombarded us with demands, requests for parleys, threats and peace offerings. It’s as if they cannot make up their own minds as to what they want to do. That is just as well, as my mind is made up. Think of the mess over the Galactic net if both of us were equally confused!”
Alexander’s manner was flippant, which was enough to attract Nazeera’s attention. The Overlord of the Terran Empire had gone over this subject many times over the past few days, and there was always an underlying gravity to the Alliance situation.
Now as she walked the corridor with the Terran Overlord Nazeera knew something was wrong. Alexander used words as if they were actions, or building blocks. His rhetoric, like his military tactics, had purpose. Each singular design affected something in the future which would give him advantage. That was the secret to Alexander’s rumored prescience. It was not so much that Alexander knew what was ahead as it was that he planned for it, and his actions funneled those trapped within his stratagems onto predetermined tracks. Alexander would not change his manner without reason.
Nazeera glanced at the man with a cool tinge to her luminescent blue eyes and asked, “Certainly I have heard no greater coherence from the Alliance through our diplomatic channels on Chem. Their courage blows this way and that, and their dialogue follows the wind. Of all the cultures only the Golkos and the Seer’koh have any stomach for this. They are the backbone of this Alliance, and the voices. The Golkos especially. They are warlike, or would like to be. Yet as they are our distant cousins they have that fire in their blood, but they do not possess the strength of honor to discipline that fire. They seek profit and power for their own right. To the Golkos principles are a pliant tool. If there is any treachery in the Alliance you can assume that the Golkos are at the heart of it.” Nazeera said much the same thing to Alexander before and none of it bore repeating, but she was looking for a lead.
Alexander smiled, nodding, “There you have it, the key to this particular puzzle: the Golkos! Remove that piece and the Alliance falls apart. That shall be our objective! We must be ready, however, for all things are not what they seem. Even those things close to us can be seen with a different light. When we see the counterfeits, then is the time to act, and act quickly!”
Nazeera nodded in agreement, but not with what Alexander said. His first statement was false, and obviously so. While it had its truths in the Galactic situation Alexander’s view was broader. His strategy was not to take the Golkos from the Alliance, but in one fell swoop remove the Alliance from the Golkos. It was a subtle but immensely important part of Alexander’s grand strategy, and one he was unlikely to mistake. Nazeera therefore took it as a warning, and a statement said for listening ears. The second part of his statement made sense now, and gave her some idea of what Alexander was thinking. She waited.
The corridor turned to the left up ahead of them, Alexander took a moment before reaching it to glance back and comment, “How are you marines bearing up in all this. Are you as confident in this enterprise as you appear?”
Nazeera took this as his lead. The two Chem guards, though they ignored the conversation between Alexander and Nazeera, saw their lords eyes flash violently at them, and then center on the Terran marines. The Chem reacted instantly. As Alexander suddenly pulled Nazeera into the side corridor the two Chem whirled, weapons drawn, to face the three counterfeit marines.
The marines, already prepared for action, did not get caught by surprise. All three carried assault blasters, weapons larger and heavier than the pistol inspired blasters that the Chem, Alexander and Nazeera carried. One of the Chem was shot and burned before he finished his turn. The other grappled with a marine, but stumbled back, dazed by a blow to the jaw from an assault blaster. As the Chem guard leapt to her feet the marine followed up his blow with a finishing blaster shot. The third marine rushed through the gap between his fellows, ducking into the side corridor behind Alexander and Nazar.
The marine was met by Alexander’s boot, taking a vicious kick in the gut. He reeled back down the corridor, and his cohorts stumbled over him, cursing as they attempted to draw a bead on their targets. Alexander threw himself at a Marine. Blocking the muzzle of the blaster with his forearm he slammed his elbow into the man’s jaw, stunning him.
Nazeera, instantly sizing up the situation, flew upon the other Marine with the quickness of a panther, sword in one hand blaster in the other. She slashed at the man in long wicked curves, almost too quickly for the eye to see. The marine’s assault blaster parried two blows, and then he brought it down to stare at the Chem Elder’s belly. Nazeera was too fast. Her slim blade slashed through the marine’s wrist, parting hand from arm and sending the marines assault blaster spinning across the corridor beneath a wash of red blood. The blaster went off, ringing in the corridor and splashing flame off the bulkheads.
The marine grasped the stump of his wrist, crying out in surprise and pain. Unfazed Nazeera kicked him in the face with the heel of her boot and whirled around, her blade plunging into the Terran’s side. The marine, with Nazeera’s blade quivering in his torso, recovered from his surprise and with the grim fury of fatality refused to fall. Though her sword now twisted in his torso he grappled the Chem’s arm with his single hand. With a strength greater than the Chem could counter the man heaved Nazeera off her feet and flung the Elder down the corridor. Nazeera rolled up in a flash as the marine lurched towards him. She snarled, shooting the marine dead in the chest. The Terran sank to his knees and fell face first into his own pool of gore.
Alexander drew his blaster and knife as his marine stumbled back. The third marine, already off balance by the Overlord’s kick steadied himself against the wall. This brought his assault blaster against the wall, and momentarily out of play. Alexander took advantage of the mistep, pinning the marines arm and blaster against the bulkhead with blade of his knife. The marine grunted as blood spurted from the arm and swung his fist at Alexander’s jaw. The Overlord of the Terran Empire stepped in, ignoring the blow and thrusting the muzzle of the blaster into his belly. He pressed the contact thrice. Boiling gore exploded across the corridor as the marine’s torso boiled and burned into a tattered mass of blackened flesh and bone.
Alexander whirled, momentarily blinded by the blood of his kill. Angrily he wiped his eyes with his blood soaked sleeve. When he sight returned he was staring down the muzzle of the remaining marine’s assault blaster. Alexander brought his gun about and shot, seeing Nazeera doing the same out of the corner of his eye. As he felt the gun rock in his hand, her shot burned into the side of the marine’s skull. The marine’s blaster bloomed, nonetheless, and Alexander felt the heat of the plasma scorch the bulkhead next to him. The marine staggered drunkenly, half his head burned away. Nazeera and Alexander each shot again and finally the twitching corpse dropped to the steel floor, leaving a sticky smear of blood and brains.
Silence settled in amongst the blaster smoke and the stench of burned flesh.
“What the devil is going on?” Admiral Augesburcke demanded, rounding the corridor corner with a troop of marines. “We picked up blaster fire on the internal sensors. The duty officer traced it here!”
Alexander, still dripping with hot blood, and burned by the missed blaster shot, checked to ensure Nazeera was not injured. The Chem assured him with a healthy grin that she was fine.
The Overlord of the Terran Empire shook his blood soaked mane; an old lion perturbed at some upstarts unsuccessful attempt to usurp his unquestioned throne. “Well Admiral it seems our friends are getting somewhat more forward,” he told Augesburcke, explaining what had just occurred. Augesburcke was fuming that on one hand Terrans should attempt such a thing, and on the other they should succeed in getting a team of assassins on the ship.
Alexander stood with a scowl, nodding, “Their intelligence concerning me is surprisingly good. They were too well prepared for my liking—that was damned close! Admiral, provide an honor guard for our brave Chem warriors. Lay them in state in the main hanger. We shall return them to their people with full military honors. As for these traitors here: give them to the surgeons and have autopsies performed. I want to know who they were and where they came from. One more thing, Admiral, fire Crandal and have him watched. I don’t know if these incidents are because he was involved as a conspirator, or because he wasn’t involved enough as Chief of Security. In my book, however, two strikes and you are out. I’m not waiting for his third failure.”
Augesburcke agreed wholeheartedly, and Alexander sighed as he closed that chapter in his thoughts. He took a deep breath, preparing for the next step on his mental agenda. There was so much to do, and so short a time to do it in he felt the need to purge himself of everything he felt solved, maintaining his energies for those crisis already upon him. It was a necessity, but he could not afford the opportunity for reflection being lost. Only in that way could he see all the possible options, and learn from past mistakes. The assassination attempts bothered Alexander not so much for the danger they represented as it was the mystery they posed. There was another player out there in the galactic game that he did not know. He could not attack them as he could the Alliance. Therefore, he couldn’t plan for them. Luck played an increasingly unwelcome role in that part of his struggle; luck which Alexander would rather hoard for other uses. If nothing else the assassinations dampened Alexander’s enthusiasm and desire, and for the moment it showed. Resigned to this irritating and unwelcome issue becoming a larger part of his adventure he sighed.
“Ah well, so much for a rest, now for the Pro Consul of the Alliance. I know these were Terrans, Admiral, but doesn’t it strike you as somewhat of a coincidence that she should call at such an opportune time?”