Interlude #2
Unity City, North America
Terra, Terran Hegemony
10 January 2767
Stefan Amaris, once merely President of the Rim Republic, now soon to be elected Director-General of Terran Hegemony, Emperor of the Amaris Empire and First Lord of the Star League, drank tea as he watched the construction teams work to repair his capital.
There was quite a lot to repair.
“Is Geneva still burning?†he asked, placing his empty cup down on the table behind his chair. He didn’t take his eyes off the bank of monitors that took up one wall of the lounge. It was far too dangerous for him to watch the work with his own eyes.
General Scoffins glanced at the display for himself. In addition to regular construction workers, drafted civilians were pushing wheelbarrows of debris away from the sites being cleared. “Yes sir. Colonel Legos is… punishing them for you with his usual enthusiasm.â€
“Judge not, General. The Colonel has his uses and it will not do for the Hegemony’s government to believe that they can escape the consequences of obstructing me.†He waved one pudgy hand over the table. “Would you like a cup?â€
“Thank you, sire.†One does not deny an Emperor, even if your back teeth are floating.
A subservient maid filled a cup for the general who held it but did not drink. She’d know how he liked it, milk and no sugar, without prompting.
“Would it surprise you to learn that Ms. Outerbridge’s OPD have yet to find any new information upon this ‘Praetorian’ who has spoken against me?â€
Scoffins’ lips curled slightly. The Office of Policy and Doctrine had been of great help in securing the tools of government for the newborn Empire but its sudden adoption of paramilitary attire was hardly welcome in the eyes of the men and women who had fought and died to acquire that Empire in the first place. “It disappoints me, sire. Particularly, if – as seems likely – this Praetorian is associated with the battleship of that name.â€
“There have been no sightings since Zebebelgundi?â€
“I would have informed you immediately, sire. Most probably it has retreated to a deep space rendezvous or into the Lyran Commonwealth. No doubt it will return.â€
“Yes. The officers in command on Zebebelgundi have been dealt with?â€
“Demoted and transferred.â€
Amaris pulled on his mustache with one hand. “That hardly seems sufficient.â€
“They may not be fit to command, but they can still die for you as soldiers, sire.â€
“You seem sure that I can trust them to do that.†He lowered his hand to the table and drummed his fingers on it. “Send them to General Milton-Davis for employment in probing the defenses of the hold-outs on Caph. If they doo well then there will be no need to involve their families in their disgrace.â€
“As you command.â€
“Whether this Praetorian is a man or – as some claim – a machine does not truly matter, General.†Amaris waved back the maid and refilled his own cup, using tongs to drop three cubes of sugar into the tea. “What matters is that he is a symbol. At the moment, a rather unfortunate symbol of resistance to us. But break him and he becomes symbolic of those who defy me.â€
“Naval casualties securing the Hegemony are over one hundred and fifty warships, sire, and losing the ships that were moored here for repairs has set back replacing them. Destroying the Praetorian may prove expensive.â€
“A cost that we shall have to bear, Patrick. Ms. Outerbridge’s report on the Nirasaki hasn’t reached your office yet, I believe? The SLDF struck at Nirasaki Computer Collective before the OPD could transfer them to more secure facilities here. Quite a number of the scientists were killed in the crossfire and others are unaccounted for. Between that and the loss of Ulsop Robitics, the repair of the SDS command centres has been set back months.†Amaris sipped on his tea. “They might also have shed some light on how he is subverting their supposedly secure drones. Very frustrating. Our own experts assure us that Praetorian cannot comandeer control of drones where we have intact control links, but quite a number of our systems no longer have those.â€
“Meaning that that battleship has a ready-made fleet in waiting over almost two dozen worlds.†And that explained why the SLDF hadn’t used Praetorian to destroy the drones over Terra. As soon as they rallied enough ground forces to secure a beachhead on the homeworld, they could return and activate the hundreds of M-5 drones, gutting the naval defenses around Terra. “This is a nightmare.†Destroying the Caspars would prevent that… but it would also require concentrating the Amaris Empire’s fleet to do so, and no doubt casualties would be severe.
“Ah, but one can wake up from a nightmare General. Once Praetorian has been destroyed or we have our SDS networks restored, that threat vanishes. An amateur’s mistake, no doubt made in a panic when they realised that they had been defeated here.†Amaris finally turned away from the screens. “Unfortunately, to restore control will take several months, a window of opportunity for Kerensky’s attack dogs. The Empire depends upon my navy killing that ship, General. Give the necessary commands.â€
Scoffins came to attention. “Sire.†At a dismissive wave of his lord’s hand, the general handed the tea cup to the maid and then made his exit.
Behind him, Amaris flicked his fingers to banish the maid too and turned back to the screens. He wasn’t looking at the ruins, instead he envisaged them restored and improved upon. A new, grander Court to house the grander Empire that now made its home here. In time, of course, he reminded himself. The Great Houses might well need… persuasion before they recognised him as their leader.
And there was Kerensky.
Well, no one ever started a new age for mankind without getting rid of some deadwood first. It was unfortunate that the man had survived the ambush on New Vandenberg but it might work out for the best. “You’re predictable, my dear General,†the new master of Terra addressed his distant enemy. “Everything must be in its place and now everything is not in its place at all. ….ah.†His eyes widened as an idea sprang to life in his mind.
“Oho,†he chortled. “’Praetorian’ indeed. I wonder… if you didn’t know about him, General Kerensky, then what place will you assign him now.â€
Mentally, Amaris juggled a dozen factors and then chortled again. “So will your ideals make you destroy this wild card that calls itself your ally? Or will you compromise them in the name of pragmatism, cracking your own foundations? What a choice for you, what a choice.â€