jumped in first, saying, “Oh, you’re a pretty boy, then. If I was a young woman again I would marry you right away. I always liked a man who wore a smart uniform.”
The military policeman smiled at her. “And if I wasn’t already spoken for, Madam, I would marry you today. But I’m afraid, as the old saying goes, my wife won’t let me. But as a consolation I can get you home back to your loved ones in double quick time. Where would you like to go?”
“I would like to go to Rueatarn. I have family and friends I would so much like to see again.”
“And so it will be,” the policeman replied. “Please take my arm, Madam, and I will escort you personally to the next available Transport to Rueatarn.”
“Oh, thank you,” she said, marching arm-in-arm with her dashing young officer to the Transport take off area.
As a final act of retribution, the Nissen-style huts where the Hellertron civilians had been housed were torched just for good measure by the stragglers, to eliminate every last trace of what they had gone through. As the last of the Transports took off, everyone was relieved their ordeal was finally over and they all shared the same sentiment: never ever would this be allowed to happen again. Previously, the Hellertron government had resisted calls to join the Solaran Commonwealth, but it was apparent now that new organisations and ways of conducting affairs would have to be found if they were to stop a repetition of what had happened with the Kaytons.
On the former occupied planets like Tau Seti, reprisals were even harsher towards their former Kayton masters I think the lucky ones were those who were killed on the spot in battle. A terrible fate awaited those high ranking Kaytons who were captured. If I said to you, look up what Queen Elizabeth І did with the Antony Babington plotters, you would get some idea of what was done to the Kaytons on places like Tau Seti. When the fighting was all over on Tau Seti, it must have been a sight to see as the government and military leadership emerged out of the underground cave system from where they had been conducting operations. Over a million people had gathered to greet them as the lawful government of Tau Seti and to thank them for staying to conduct the resistance to the Kaytons.
Twenty-six
Back on Tyros in a squalid little corner off the main hanger in the Citadel, were gathered the remainder of the Supreme Kayton Ruling Council with other high ranking civilian and military officials as well as their dedicated personnel protection guard, armed to the teeth and ready to die in combat protecting their masters lives. Wesker had also gravitated there. He had calculated that he could increase his own chances of survival if he stuck close to the centre of power. All were bowed down by anxiety at the disaster that was now unfolding all around them. At that precise moment, an officer arrived who had just escaped in time from the military command and communications centre before it was overrun. He was to participate in what all good people would be hoping would be the Kayton Supreme Council’s very last situation conference.
He was asked by a Supreme Council member, who could be called the Boss of bosses, “What is the strategical situation?”
The officer, having now recovered his composure, swallowed, took a deep breath and replied, “All ground positions have been overrun and at least ninety percent of our battle fleets have been destroyed or captured. The Empire is collapsing.”
How would everyone react now they were confronted with the true situation? Wesker immediately started whimpering like a little baby, raising his left hand towards his mouth and biting his index finger all the time. His head and hands were shaking uncontrollably for fear of whatever might happen to the Kaytons as far as war crimes were concerned. For him, the only thing that would be ready to greet him on Sontral would be a hangman’s noose for committing high treason. He could almost feel the noose starting to tighten around his neck. The Kayton officers could only look upon him with contempt and absolute disgust.
The Kayton Supreme Council members were also shaking, not with fear, but absolute rage. As the Boss of bosses said to the officer, “That pig Prime Minister and his whore, Vadoran! I hope they both burn in hell. As for the Guardian, is he still alive?”
“Yes as far as we know,” the officer replied. “He is being protected by those savages from Tau Seti.”
“Then I want you to direct the remainder of our forces into finding and killing him.”
The officer sighed. “We are rapidly losing command and control and most of what forces we have left are trying to get a ship and get off Tyros, which is what we should be doing before it is too late.”
The Boss was by now shaking his fist uncontrollably. “Then I want an unlimited bounty placed on his head!” he roared.
Now Wesker, who had recovered a little of his composure from the shock of earlier on, sensed he might be able to prolong his miserable existence at least a little while longer. Taking his chance, he shouted, “It won’t work!”
A Kayton officer replied, “You… speak only when spoken to, you Solaran turncoat!”
“Ah,” the Boss said, “let’s hear what Wesker has to say.” He pointed towards him with his crooked, arthritic, index finger. “You were the only one who voiced any disquiet about the coming of the second Guardian… you even came to us with your concerns which, to our cost, we dismissed out of hand. Like everyone else, we were drunk with victory, thinking the war was nearly over and also that the Transdamping barrier could not be broken. If only as a precautionary measure, we had increased the number of guards to three to accompany a maintenance worker in the Citadel. We could have avoided this catastrophe that has befallen us, so go on, elaborate; let’s hear what you have to say.”
Wesker replied, “As I said before, it won’t work. No bounty hunter or assassin would take on the contract – they wouldn’t get anywhere near him. And they would know, even if they did succeed, that they would never live long enough to spend the money. They would be chased to the ends of the Galaxy and beyond and killed by Vadoran’s S.I.S. I spoke to him at length and in my opinion, I think he will return to his home planet. Now very soon there are going to be a lot of unemployed and very disgruntled military personnel who will be looking to make some big money. The Guardian might have been loose with his tongue on Sontral about his home planet, so for the right price someone may be willing to sell me the information as I still have good contacts on Sontral. But they would only deal with me. They would never trust a Kayton, I’m sorry to say. And the beauty of all this is that, if successful, you would kill two birds with one stone by destroying his home planet and killing him at the same time. What more could you ask for?”
The Boss and the other Council members listened intently to what Wesker had to say, after which they all sped off on their anti-gravity discs to a quiet corner to discuss the situation in private. After a couple of minutes of heated discussion, during which time Wesker was biting his finger nails to such an extent he must have worn them down to the bone, the Council members made their way back to the main group.
“A binding decision has been made from this moment on,” the Boss said. “Wesker is now in command of our remaining armed forces—”
A Kayton General interrupted. “You cannot place a non-Kayton in charge of our remaining forces.”
The Boss shouted back. “The order has been given and I expect it to be obeyed without question. There is to be no more discussion, the matter is now closed.”
Everyone bowed their heads, which meant acceptance.
The Boss continued, “All we ask from you, Wesker, is that you direct all your efforts into killing the Guardian and destroying his home planet, after which you can do as you please with the forces at your disposal.”
If Wesker had written the script himself things could not have worked out better for him. “Thank you, sir, for putting your faith in me,” he replied. “I won’t let you down. In fact, once I have obtained the relevant information as to his whereabouts, I will have him killed immediately. Then I will launch a retaliatory strike on his home planet that will be so massive a
nd so overwhelming that not a single living creature will be left on its surface, of that I promise you.”
All the Council members smiled and nodded in gleeful approval. So Wesker had made his pact with the Devil but he still had to get a ship and make his escape from Tyros.
To that end, the Boss said to one of the Kayton officers, “Is that ship we used for the Guardian verification mission still in the hangar?”
“Yes,” the officer replied, “but the whole place is crawling with former Drones. I don’t think we have enough fire power at our disposal to make it to the ship.”
“But we might,” the Boss pointed out, “if we utilise the weapons we Council members have at our disposal in our anti-gravity discs. Quickly organise a skeleton crew to man the ship and a close protection detail to protect Wesker with their lives. The rest of you form up now with us; we must make a move right away. Time is short and the longer we leave the attempt, the more savages we will have to contend with in the hangar.”
The orders were carried out and very soon the hangar doors were opened. The whole group made their way to the ship which was in one of the far loading bays. This motley crew actually made a fair distance before they were noticed by the former Drones who immediately went