The Forbidden City, Sian
Sian Commonality, Capellan Commonwealth
8 December 3028
"Get out! Get out!"
The door to the antechamber crashed open and Elizabeth Liao stormed into the throne room. Her left cheek was red and the two men standing in wait for the Chancellor's arrival averted their eyes from his wife. It could be dangerous to pay too much attention to the rifts between the Confederation's royal family at this tense time. And with Romano Liao standing not far from her father's empty throne, smirking at her step-mother's dismissal, anything might be seized upon as evidence of wrongdoing.
She hadn't hesitated when her lover Tsen Sheng had been condemned for his part in the disasterous Operation Riposte. Her father's only comment had been a mild criticism that shooting the man in the head had made it difficult to display Sheng's head on a pike outside the palace. Modern technology had provided however.
Elizabeth did not waste her own attention upon Justin or his aide Alexei Malenkov. Both, in her eyes, were mere functionaries. When she reached the double doors at the opposite end of the room from the throne, someone entered that she had to take note of.
Although looking slightly haggard - doubtless the strain of so many jumps in rapid succession - Duke Michael Hasek-Davion was neatly groomed, his black hair slicked back and bound in tidy braid. If it were not for the uniform of the Syrtis Fusiliers, immaculately pressed even now, he would have fit seamlessly into the ranks of mandarins that made up most of the Capellan bureaucracy, right down to the discreet document case in one hand.
"Another of my husband's stray Davionists," Elizabeth sneered as she swept by him. "He's assembling quite a ghetto of you here."
Hasek-Davion's head snapped around as if slapped, eyes tracking the Chancellor's wife and his lips parting with a riposte before she vanished out of his sight through the door. The man took a deep breath before looking back towards Justin. "She's in a charming temper today."
"Welcome to being invaded, your grace," Justin replied coolly. "It has a tendency to wear on the nerves."
Any response that the Duke might have made was cut off when Maxmilian entered the throne room, followed by six members of his personal bodygyard. The Chancellor crossed the floor to the turncoat duke rather than towards the throne. "Your visit is unexpected, but most welcome." He twisted at his moustache with one hand while offering the other to shake. "Providential, one might say."
"I imagine that you have had reports already of your Operation Riposte," Hasek-Davion responded cautiously as he accepted Maxmilian's hand.
"A setback, admittedly." The Chancellor frowned and then shrugged. "Still, the troops had already failed once, in the defense of their own worlds. Their commanders begged for the opportunity to redeem themselves through service. The karmic burden of their repeated failure will have to be endured now that they pass to new lives, but that is the way of the universe."
"Yours is an interesting perspective on the matter, Chancellor." Hasek-Davion was visibly relieved and Maxmilian nodded acceptance of the compliment. "It seems to me that perhaps the Fox's karma is somewhat unbalanced, and we should redress that situation." The Duke held up his document case. "I have worked up some plans to that effect while in transit, but I understand that there may be more pressing concerns at the moment."
"Oh, quite the contrary." The Chancellor smiled broadly. "It will be several days before Janos Marik's forces can reach Sian and they will arrive tired and battleworn, harried every step of the way by my daughter's forces from St Ives. I can hardly allow his petty banditry to bring affairs of state to a halt. No, I find this time quite acceptable for handling other matters."
Hasek-Davion opened his portfolio and pulled out a thick sheaf of notes. "Much as I would like to help you reclaim Tikonov, my information is that the world is still too well defended by the Crucis Lancers. However, Styk near the old border with the Free Worlds League, is almost as valuable a world and would serve the additional purpose of threatening the Marik flank." And it would be better for Tikonov to remain in the hands of the Federated Suns, so Hasek-Davion could make use of it once he had overthrown his brother-in-law and could turn upon his current ally. "For this purpose, I suggest your Sung's Cuirassiers and my own Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers RCT."
Justin and Alexei exchanged looks at that suggestion.
"How very interesting." Maxmilian Liao pursed his lips and then gestured sharply to prevent a biting comment from Romano. "Tell me, my friend. Are you quite certain that you can count upon teh Fusiliers now that you have been driven from your home? Davion will no doubt have moved against your supporters."
Hasek-Davion nodded confidently. "Hanse trusts their commander, but the truth is that the man would kill his own wife and children gladly if that was my wish. I am sure that the AFFS will readily provide ships to move the Fusiliers to the front, little guessing who they will be striking against."
"There is an old saying, Duke Michael." Liao's eyes glittered dangerously. "Fool me once, shame on you." He waggled his finger as if chastising a child. "But fool me twice, shame on me. Tell me, which of us is the fool?"
"Wha-" The Duke stared at him with incomprehension. "I do not understand."
"Citizen Xiang, what is the current status of the Duke's faithful Fifth Syrtis Fusliiers?" Maxmilian Liao spat.
Justin stepped forward, pulling the information confidently from his memory. "The last report has them handing over control of Ares to a garrison force drawn from the Capellan March Militia. It is expected that their next target will be Necromo and the shipyards there. It must be presumed that Davion is aware of the damage that losing those will do to our ability to repair and replace our damaged dropships."
"And their commander?"
"Excellency, the Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers have recently been placed under the command of Morgan Hasek-Davion."
Michael Hasek-Davion's face went white.
"Duke Michael, I really must question your allegiance to this alliance." The Chancellor had given no signal but his guards had moved subtly to keep their weapons trained in the direction of the shocked nobleman. "The only reason I'm not having you executed immediately as a foreign agent is that I can hardly believe that a genuine double-agent would be so foolish as to come here after his machinations stand revealed."
