30
Clarion
Captain Shilling had been disturbed when Leek told her of his dream. She’d worried about the attack cruisers the TGA had built and the fleet of space fighters designed to support them. There had been no specific plans to use the cruisers as a treaty had been worked out peacefully with the United States government, but now she was certain Videl planned to use the cruisers if he were to be forced off of Tarizon. Since that possibility seemed more likely each day, something would have to be done to thwart his plan.
She knew that neither Commander Lanzia or the new Loyalist government knew anything about the Tarizon space program as it had been overseen by Videl and the generals he had in his pocket. Therefore, she was the only one she could think of with the knowledge and experience necessary to concoct an effective plan to thwart their efforts. She was honored that Commander Lanzia had so readily given her the task, but she was already so busy with the Liberation Network, she didn’t know if she could handle both jobs. When she told Lorin of her predicament, Lorin agreed the problem of the attack cruisers had to be her first priority and that Major Oakril could, in the future, handle the Liberation Network alone. With her assignment now clear she began to consider options for dealing with this most dangerous situation. The first task would be to move the 3rd Army’s headquarters off her ship so she could get if off the ground and ready for space flight again. Once she’d done that she would at least have the capability of traveling to Clarion and observing the TGA operation there. She wasn’t sure what she could do once she got there, but she was hopeful she’d get some inspiration once she saw what she was up against.
Fortunately, the nanomites had been busy building all types of structures to accommodate the growing 3rd Army so Captain Shilling was sure they could quickly build a headquarters building to replace Earth Shuttle 26 when it took off for its new assignment. In the meantime all their operations would have to be moved to temporary quarters. With the assault on Shisk rapidly approaching, Captain Shilling knew there could be no delay. Within ten days she’d managed to move all operations off her ship and ready Earth Shuttle 26 for takeoff.
It was a cool day and hundreds of soldiers and staff gathered to watch the big ship come to life. The first task was the counterclockwise rotation of the craft which would ease it out of the ground like a giant screw. Once it was free of the ground its engines would be powered up and the craft could take off.
The earth shook and vibrated as the ship’s lower section began to turn. The vibration was so intense most of the spectators backed away, afraid the ground might open up and swallow them at any moment. Soon the ship lifted up off the ground like it was being hoisted by a crane and slowly rose above the treetops. The big blue light at the front of the ship started to glow and then blasts of light exploded from it.
Inside, Captain Shilling barked orders and soon the ship began a forward motion and quickly accelerated until it was cruising across Tributon at an impressive speed. For the next few kyloons Captain Shilling put the shuttle through a long series of stringent tests designed to determine its readiness for space travel. When she had completed all of them successfully, she was satisfied Earth Shuttle 26 was ready for its assignment and they returned to base. As a precaution she parked the shuttle in a different location in case the enemy had observed the shuttle take off.
The next morning she gathered her crew together and advised them they were going on a sightseeing trip to Clarion. “The purpose of the trip is to gather intelligence on the TGA space facility and the fleet that is stationed there,” she told them solemnly. “There is a distinct possibility that Videl Lai may try to escape into space should the situation on Tarizon become untenable. Some believe that he might take the fleet to Earth and try to set up a Purist government there. Another possibility is that he may try to exact revenge on the people of Tarizon for rejecting him and driving him away. There is a fear that he might try to destroy the planet.”
“Is that possible?” Sgt. Ponde asked.
“Yes it is. Although nuclear warfare was outlawed by the World Assembly at the time of unification and all nuclear warheads were destroyed, the technology still exists. There is nothing to stop someone with the proper resources and technological expertise from building nuclear weapons. It’s even possible that nuclear weapons are being built on Clarion as we speak.”
“I understand the TGA has three attack cruisers and hundreds of fighters. With that kind of fire power will it be possible for us to get close enough to really see anything?” Lt. Lakee asked.
“That’s a good question,” Captain Shilling replied. “Our only hope is that nobody knows Earth Shuttle 26 exists. Most think our ship was destroyed on reentry after returning from Earth nearly a cycle ago. If that is the case the TGA probably won’t be trying to conceal what they are up to or be on the lookout for enemy ships.”
“Still, if we are detected we’ll be—“
“In deep trouble without a doubt,” Captain Shilling admitted. “But I don’t see any alternative. We are the only spacecraft in service to the Loyalist government. That means we must do what we can to assess this threat and come up with a strategy to deal with it. So, I’ll give you one kyloon to ready yourselves and then we’ll be taking off. . . . Dismissed!”
While the crew was making last-minute preparations Captain Shilling decided to call Lorin and update her on the ship’s performance and advise her they were ready to begin their mission. Lorin was glad to get the call and relieved that the ship checked out okay.
“Try not to be spotted. I’d hate for anything to happen to you.”
“Don’t worry. I know our limitations. This is strictly a sight-seeing trip.”
“Good. While you’ve been planning this inspection mission, I’ve been working at this problem from another angle.”
“Oh really? What’s that?”
“If we defeat the TGA on Tarizon we might be able to spark a mutiny against Videl Lai on Clarion and peacefully seize control of the attack fleet.”
“I don’t know. Videl is ruthless. I’m sure his men know if they betray him, and the insurrection fails, they’ll likely suffer a painful death.”
“That’s true, so we have to convince them it won’t fail.”
“How do we do that?”
“I haven’t worked that out yet, but I’m working on it. So far, I’ve gone through the files of all the officers assigned to the attack fleet. What I’m hoping to do is find a few officers who are Loyalist sympathizers or opportunists who might want to switch sides before the TGA is defeated.”
“I’d like to take a look at those files too. I may know some of the officers.”
“Sure, I’ll send electronic copies to you so you can browse through them while you’re traveling.”
“Thanks.”
“Good luck, Captain. Call me just as soon as you return.”
“I will, Chancellor.”
The next morning as scheduled the big ship took off, but this time it was set on a course for Clarion. Captain Shilling felt a little edgy. She didn’t know if it was because she hadn’t been in space for nearly a cycle or if she was worried about what she’d find on Clarion. She looked out her side portal and observed Tarizon getting smaller and smaller. She didn’t know if it was her imagination or not, but the planet looked better than it had when they had approached it a cycle earlier. The dingy yellowish tint that she remembered was a shade lighter and the poles were lighter yet. This cheered her up again until Clarion came into view.
Captain Shilling had been out to the TGA moon base several cycles earlier when it was just a refueling stop and resort for tourists. She suspected there wouldn’t be any tourists there anymore. As the base came into camera range she ordered it be magnified and displayed on the big screen on the bridge. When it came up she nearly gasped. The tiny little camp she had remembered had been transformed into a huge military complex. She quickly counted attac
k cruisers and came up with six rather than three.
“This is worse than I had expected,” Captain Shilling said soberly.
“How could Videl Lai have built such a vast spaceport without the government knowing about it?” Sgt. Ponde asked.
“That’s a good question. This hasn’t been built in the last cycle. Videl has obviously been working on this for some time.”
“So, now what?” Lt. Lakee said. “We obviously can’t stop the fleet from taking off.”
“True, but we can stop Videl Lai from getting here. That’s our only hope. Once he makes it to Clarion he’ll be off with his fleet and we won’t be able to stop him.”
“I wouldn’t suggest we linger, Captain,” Sgt. Ponde said. “They’ll be aware of our presence soon.”
“Yes, you’re right. Take a full set of recognizance photos and then let’s return to base.”
“Very well, Captain.”
On the trip back to Tarizon Captain Shilling felt sick. How could the Loyalists challenge such a formidable fleet of warships? Even if they captured or killed Videl Lai, there’d be a second in command who might be just as bad or worse. She hoped Lorin would find some soft spots in the space fleet’s command that could be exploited. She hailed Lorin on the GC and patched in Commander Lanzia who was with the 3rd Army just inside Southern Soni getting ready to attack the forces defending Shisk. Lorin filled Leek in on the situation.
“How could this have been kept secret?” Leek asked.
“I don’t know,” Lorin replied. “I suspected there was more to the space program than the World Assembly was led to believe. Frankly, I’m not shocked by any of this.”
“So, what should I do?” Captain Shilling asked.
“You need to come to Soni in case Videl tries to escape to Clarion,” Leek replied. “If he gets away we’ll have to go after him and make sure he doesn’t make it there.”
“We? Does that mean you want me to pick you up?”
“Absolutely. I want to see that skutz die so I can tell my grandchildren about it.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Lorin interjected.
“Don’t give me any of that Liberator nonsense. We’ve won the war. I’m expendable now and I wouldn’t miss the demise of Videl Lai for a trainload of gold bullion.”
There was an awkward moment of silence and then Captain Shilling said, “Don’t worry, Lorin. I was the best shuttle pilot in the fleet. If Videl can be stopped, I’ll do it and without getting blown up in the process. I promise.”
“I know. I have complete faith in you, Captain. I just hope we get Videl on the ground so we don’t have to worry about chasing him to Clarion.”
When the conference call ended, Captain Shilling ordered the course change to Soni and then she sat back and tried to digest everything that had transpired. Shuttles were not warships and had only limited firepower. Six short-range laser cannons were evenly positioned around the ship’s hulk so that no matter where the enemy attacked there would be at least one cannon available to return fire.
The shuttle’s hulk was made of lemdinium, the strongest and most durable of metals known to exist in the universe. It could withstand most any type of conventional attack for quite a while. The biggest problem was the fragile crew. Even if they were strapped in, they could only take so much jostling before they became disoriented or lost consciousness.
When the shuttle reached Soni airspace Captain Shilling called in to Loyalist command for landing instructions. Once on the ground she was escorted to Commander Lanzia’s cube.
“You made it just in time,” Leek said as he picked up his flight jacket. “Videl is on his way to rendevous with the shuttle right now. We’ll need to leave immediately if we’re going to intercept him.”
“Okay, we’re ready. What’s our plan?”
Leek explained his plan as they walked briskly to the shuttle. Before they reached it they were intercepted by Major Oakril. “The seafolken cut off Videl’s escape from the city but he managed to get in a TGA copter. He’ll be reaching the west gate very soon.”
“Thanks, Major. We’re heading that way right now.”
“Can I come along, sir? I can keep a communications link open with Central Command in case there is any new intelligence.”
“Sure, come on. We can use all the help we can get.”
They all climbed aboard and closed the hatch behind them. Captain Shilling went straight to the bridge and began giving orders. Soon the ship was rising and gliding forward around the dome to the west entrance.
At the west gate seafolken were rushing through and heading for the shuttle craft in the distance. There was an explosion and then a crash as a large chunk of the dome fell to the ground. Suddenly a copter shot through the hole and raced for the space shuttle. The seafolken opened fire but their bullets couldn’t penetrate the copter’s bulletproof exterior. Then Riddle the rhutz jumped on top of a truck and glared at the copter. The rotary mechanism began to smoke and the big copter began to spin out of control.
Loyalist soldiers began streaming out of the west gate and with them were Tam and Colonel Belmoht. They saw the copter spinning out of control ahead and raced to help stop Videl Lai from escaping. They saw the pilot miraculously regain control of the copter and land it safely. Videl and two soldiers jumped out and began running toward the space shuttle which was just two lods away. There was a burst of blue light, causing Tam to look up. A second space shuttle was landing right next to the one sent to pick up Videl Lai. Tam knew it was Captain Shilling and, he hoped, Leek Lanzia.
As Videl Lai and his guards made it half-way to the shuttle Commander Leek Lanzia, the Liberator, stepped in his path with Rhin, Captain Shilling and Major Oakril behind him to back him up. The two soldiers pointed their weapons and were about to fire when their guns shot out of their hands. They looked around frantically wondering what happened and then raised their hands in surrender.
Videl scowled at them in disgust and glared at Leek. “So, you think you’ve won. Well, you’ve underestimated me from the start. Do you think I care about this dying planet with all its mutants and half-breeds? Well, you can have it! I’m ready to move on to a much better place. A place where my authority will never be challenged and my armies will be invincible! You can have this cesspool of a planet. I’m through with it. My fleet is ready to take me to Earth.”
Leek looked around and saw seafolken and Loyalist soldiers on every side. He raised his eyebrows and replied, “Well, I’m afraid your fleet will have to go without you. You’re going to be turned over to the Council of Interpreters to be prosecuted for your war crimes.”
Videl laughed. “Get out of my way!”
Rhin growled and Leek pointed his laser at Videl Lai. “Arrest him and take him to Earth Shuttle 26.” Two soldiers close by started to carry out Commander Lanzia’s orders when Major Oakril stepped up behind Leek and pointed his laser at his head. “Stand down, soldiers!” Major Oakril ordered.
Startled by the betrayal, the soldiers hesitated and stared at Major Oakril and the laser pointed at their Commander’s face.
“Don’t worry about me,” Leek ordered. “Take him down.”
The two soldiers started to advance. “I will kill the Commander if you take one more step.”
The two men stopped and Videl let out a wicked laugh that sent chills down Captain Shilling’s spine. Videl Lai rushed past her and broke into a run toward the shuttle. Rhin followed him but didn’t attack.
“Stop him!” Leek yelled. “It doesn’t matter if I die. Don’t let him escape!”
Major Oakril began pulling Leek toward the shuttle, making sure his laser was always out of Rhin’s view so she couldn’t pull it away from him with her mind. Soldiers and seafolken closed in on him from all sides as he stumbled backward toward the shuttle.
“So, you’re the traitor who has been feeding information to the enemy?” Leek asked as he was dragged toward the ship.
“I’m the one who has stoo
d by our Chancellor. I’m not a traitor like the rest of you,” Major Oakril spat.
“You’re the one who called in the air strike against me in Queenland, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I did everything I could to stop you. I only wish I could have done more.”
“Why didn’t you kill me? Surely you had ample opportunity.”
“Not with a rhutz at your side. I would have liked to, though.”
“You are so gullible,” Leek said. “Do you think Videl appreciates your loyalty?”
“He’s taking me to Earth with him. I’m to be promoted to captain and given my own ship.”
“You’ll never make it off Tarizon.”
“Yes, I will. You’re my ticket off this planet. With you aboard they won’t try to stop us.”
“I’m sorry, Major Oakril, but I’m not coming,” Leek said, jerking himself free and diving for the ground.
Major Oakril fired but the laser blast narrowly missed Leek and before he could aim and shoot again he was hit by more bullets and laser blasts than anyone could have possibly counted. Rhin, taking advantage of the distraction, launched herself at Videl and caught his left wrist. He cursed her as he tried to extricate himself from her grip. Blood squirted from a severed artery as Videl watched in horror. Then Riddle leaped into the air, landed on Videl’s chest and knocked him to the ground. Rhin let go of his arm, lunged for his neck, and sunk her teeth into it while Riddle ripped off an ear.
Leek rushed over and watched the two rhutz maul Videl. Finally, he said in his mind, “Okay. He’s dead. That’s enough.”
Rhin looked up and then walked a few steps away. Riddle sunk his teeth into Videl’s torso one last time and shook it back and forth. “That’s enough!” Leek ordered.
Riddle dropped Videl and then trotted off. There was a long moment of silence as everyone just stared at Videl’s lifeless body. Leek couldn’t believe it was over. Videl Lai had finally gotten what he deserved—a painful, humiliating death surely to be followed by eternal damnation.
Tam walked up to where Leek was standing and yelled, “Seama Videl!” Which in English meant Videl is dead!
Others joined in yelling, “Seama Videl! Seama Videl! Praise to Sandee. Seama Videl!” Soon all the soldiers and citizens who’d poured out of the city to bear witness to this historic event were laughing and rejoicing at Videl’s death. But before the real celebrating could begin, the jubilation was interrupted by the intense noise of the space shuttle’s engines firing. The space shuttle began to lift and as it did, its laser cannons began shooting. Everyone within range of the cannons ran for cover. Commander Lanzia and Captain Shilling ran for Earth Shuttle 26 but before they could get aboard they were blinded by the ship’s big blue beacons.
Sometime later, when Commander Lanzia awoke and had struggled to his feet, he was shocked to see Captain Shilling next to him, breathing but out cold. Then he noticed she wasn’t the only one. Hundreds of soldiers seemed to have been rendered unconscious. What’s happened here? He searched his memories but could only vaguely remember stepping out of Earth Shuttle 26 to try and stop Videl Lai from leaving the city. Then he noticed Rhin and Riddle lying still on the ground. He ran over to Rhin and knelt down. Fear stabbed at him until he saw she was breathing. He looked around and saw Videl Lai two strides away. Eyes widened, he walked over to him. His ear had been ripped off and the arteries in his neck severed. Videl looked up at him, eyes open, but not seeing. A rush of relief flooded though Leek. Videl Lai is dead! That’s right! Seama Videl! Then, little by little, he began to remember.
Soon others began to wake up. Captain Shilling stirred first and Leek went over to her. She opened her eyes and then struggled to get up. Leek steadied her, then helped her up.
“Oh, skutz. The memory light,” Captain Shilling groaned. “I should have known they’d hit us with that.”
“Yes. I was the victim of the blue light once before back on Earth,” Leek noted, “when my father and I first discovered the Tarizonian presence on Earth.”
“That’s right. On Earth we used the blue light to disorient people and make them forget they’d ever seen us. It scrubs off a couple of loons of memory from anyone exposed to it. Since we were so close, it probably took a little more. No telling how long the shuttle’s been gone. Luckily Videl wasn’t aboard.”
“Yes, but who’s in command now that Videl is dead and why didn’t they surrender?”
Captain Shilling shrugged. “I wish I knew. I haven’t been able to find much out about the space fleet on Clarion, but I’m sure now that Videl is gone that will change.”
“I hope so,” Leek said. “We can’t let the fleet take off.”
“Without Videl, I doubt it will, but if you want me to follow the shuttle and try to capture or destroy it, I will.”
“No. You’d never catch it now. We’ll have to deal with the space fleet another day. Right now I need to find General Bratfort and see if he is willing to surrender. With Videl dead I think he’ll give the idea serious thought. I hope so. I’m sick of this war and now that Videl is dead, I’d like to wash my hands of it.”
When Leek got back to his command cube he immediately got on the GC and called Lorin. He felt profoundly relieved that Videl was dead. He had to share his joy with someone.
“Have you heard?”
“Heard what?” Lorin asked.
“Videl is dead!”
“Oh, thank God and Sandee! That is such incredible news. I was so afraid he’d get away and this war would go on forever.”
“I’m trying to contact General Bratfort now. Hopefully he’ll have the good sense to surrender.”
“Yes, I certainly hope so. Either way, with Videl gone I can’t see the TGA being able to survive much longer. In the last few weeks we haven’t been able to process all the defections.”
“If he does surrender, I want to come back to Shini immediately.”
“Yes, you should,” Lorin agreed. She wanted to add that she missed him terribly and couldn’t wait to see him, but she knew that wouldn’t be appropriate.
“I’ve got to give Lucinda a proper burial and I have a son I need to get to know.”
There was a moment of silence and then Lorin replied evenly, “Yes, of course. Tehra is taking good care of him. I visit them nearly every day.”
“I appreciate that, especially as busy as you must be.”
“It’s something I really enjoy. Tehra is wonderful. She’s become a good friend.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I hope you two will stay close. I know that it will be difficult now that you have so much responsibility rebuilding the government.”
“Fortunately, thanks to you, we’ve got the basic framework already in place. If you hadn’t protected me from Chancellor Mammett and helped me activate the cells around Tarizon, we’d be facing cycles of anarchy and civil unrest.”
“There wasn’t much else I could do. If it wasn’t for you and your father, I wouldn’t have survived my first week on Tarizon. It seemed pretty obvious to me what had to be done.”
Tears welled in Lorin’s eyes. “I can’t believe it’s over. Videl is dead and you have fulfilled the Prophecy!”
“I know. Neither of us expected that, did we?”
Lorin laughed. “Yeah, I guess you can’t fight fate.”
31
Shocking Deception
With the news of the fall of Shisk and Videl’s death, the people of Tarizon took to the streets to celebrate. In Shisk, mobs of people lined up as the 3rd Army entered the city and marched to the Capitol Building which had already been secured by the seafolken. Within a few days Commander General Tamurus Lavendar met General Bratfort and accepted the TGA’s surrender, and the 3rd and 5th Loyalist Armies took control of Shisk and the state of Soni. Under the terms of the surrender all TGA s
oldiers were stripped of their weapons and sent home after taking an oath never to take up arms again unless they were accepted into the Loyalist Army.
When Leek finally arrived in Shini he was met by a small contingent of government officials, soldiers, and airport personnel. Leading the welcoming party was Threebeard. Lorin was noticeably absent. After they’d embraced and congratulated each other, Threebeard took Leek aside for a private conversation. Leek was surprised at this and couldn’t imagine what Threebeard had on his mind. Normally Threebeard would have connected with him telepathically had he wanted to have a private conversation. His mood seemed somber.
“There is something I must confess to you. You no doubt will hate me for what I have done. I can only hope after careful thought you will agree I was right to do it.”
“What are you talking about? Videl is dead. The war is over. What could you have possibly done that would require an apology?”
“I have lied to you, deceived you and caused you much pain and suffering.”
“Lied to me about what?”
“About Lucinda.”
“Lucinda? What about her?”
“I know you loved her with all your heart and loathed Videl for taking her away from you. Love and hate are great motivators, and during those times that we connected I could feel the intensity of your anger and despair. You were focused on one thing, and one thing only—rescuing Lucinda. But you knew that would only be possible if Videl were defeated.”
“So, I was obsessed with rescuing Luci? I still don’t understand.”
“When you found out where she was and went to rescue her, I feared your success would cause you to lose your focus and diminish your ability to lead the Loyalist Army to victory.”
Leek frowned. “What are you saying? I don’t understand.”
“What I’m trying to tell you is that I made sure Lucinda’s rescue was a failure. I couldn’t afford to have you distracted at such a critical time in the war.”
Anger welled up in Leek. He glared at Threebeard in shock and disbelief. He was confused and couldn’t imagine what Threebeard had done. “What exactly did you do?”
“Do you remember when you went to rescue Lucinda from Pritzka Prison and John gave her a sedative?”
“Yes. She was so frail the medic didn’t think she could stand the trauma of the rescue.”
“Yes. And when you came back from the hospital with the baby the medic told you Lucinda was dead.”
“Yeah. A lot of good the sedative did.”
“Well, actually it did just what it was supposed to do—make it appear that Lucinda had died.”
“Huh? What are you saying?”
“What I’m trying to tell you is that Lucinda is alive.”
“What? . . . Luci is alive?”
Threebeard smiled. “Yes, she is alive!”
Leek felt a jolt of joy like he’d never felt before. Tears welled in his eyes and his knees began to buckle. Threebeard took his arm to steady him.
“Only a few people knew of my deception—John, of course, the medic and a nurse who has been taking care of her since her rescue.”
“Did Lorin know?” Leek asked angrily. “Tell me she didn’t have any part in this.”
“No. I just told her about it this morning. That’s why she’s not here to meet you. I’m afraid she took the news rather badly.”
“Huh?”
“You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“She’s in love with you, obviously. You two have been acting like mates ever since you thought Lucinda was dead.”
A tinge of guilt swept over Leek. He knew he’d gotten very close to Lorin, but hadn’t realized she was in love with him. It was understandable, he thought, since they had worked so closely together, that they’d become close, but had he betrayed his Luci? Had he crossed the line? He felt confused and conflicted. He couldn’t think clearly. His mind was still trying to get around the fact that Luci was alive! His Luci was alive!
“So, where is she? I want to see her. I want to see her now!”
“Of course. A PTV is waiting. She’s with Lorin at the Chancellor’s Mansion.”
Leek and Threebeard rejoined the welcoming party and then went outside the terminal to a string of PTVs waiting to take the Liberator to the Chancellor’s Mansion. As they left the military base Leek noticed crowds of people along the street watching the procession of PTVs and waving wildly. As they got closer to their destination the crowds got bigger and more boisterous. Soon the PTVs were forced to travel at a crawl to keep from running down citizens celebrating the Loyalist victory and the restoration of the Supreme Mandate.
Tears welled in Leek’s eyes as he felt the surge of emotion and thought back to all he’d been through since his arrival from Earth. It was almost like he was waking from a dream now that it was over. Someone was pushed against his window and Leek jerked back, startled by the jolt. He looked ahead anxiously to see how much farther it was to their destination. They were going so slowly he could hardly stand it. He saw the gate up ahead and wanted to open the door, jump the fence and run to the front door, but he knew the instant he did he would be mobbed by the crowd.
Eventually they turned into the driveway and made their way to the Chancellor’s Mansion. Once they’d stopped, an attendant opened Leek’s door and he quickly stepped out. A cluster of people stood by the front door. He spotted Lorin first, then saw Tehra holding her baby. His eyes swept over many familiar faces until they landed on Luci. She smiled, and he ran toward her and swept her off her feet. They embraced and then he kissed every inch of her face and nearly squeezed the life out of her.
Tears welled in Lorin’s eyes. She tried to hide them but soon she was sobbing out loud. Tehra put her arm around her. The people around Lorin thought she was happy that Leek and Luci were together, but her tears were of sorrow, not joy. At one moment, Leek looked over at her and smiled, but then the nanny brought over the baby and Leek took him in his arms, feeling a pride he’d never known before.
32
Conquest Earth
Evohn Cystrom watched in horror as his father was ripped apart by the two rhutz. He wanted to go to his aid but his father’s orders had been quite explicit: if I’m killed, take the shuttle back to Clarion and implement Operation Conquest Earth. But he couldn’t just sit there and watch the Loyalists murder his father, so he ordered his crew to fire on the crowd with the ship’s lasers and sweep them with the blue light.
While the soldiers and citizens were fleeing in panic, the shuttle lifted off the ground and quickly accelerated for a rendezvous with Clarion. Evohn knew that the blue lights would disable his enemies for at least five loons. This would give him enough of a head start to make it nearly impossible for them to catch him. He was angry and sickened with grief that his father had been killed. Although Videl Lai was only his adoptive father, he had been good to Evohn, as good as any son could have expected. When he managed to kidnap Lorin Boskie, General Zitor, and the Liberator’s mate, Lucinda Dimitri, and deliver them to the TGA, Videl had rewarded him with a promotion to Captain and had given him command of a space shuttle.
“I’m sorry, Captain. I can’t believe Videl is dead,” Rohr Lethrow, his first officer, said.
“Nor can I. Why didn’t he leave the city yesterday? I don’t understand why he had to hang around Shisk while it was under assault.”
“I don’t think the general staff thought the Loyalists had a chance of piercing our defenses so quickly. They thought, even if it such a thing were possible, it would take many days and Videl would have plenty of time to escape. The assault from the north was so quick and decisive. How do you defend yourself from thousands of seafolken suddenly appearing from the depths of the ocean?”
“There are ways, but I don’t think my father had his heart in this war.”
“What d
o you mean?” Rohr asked.
“Tarizon has been so spoiled by war and natural disaster that its future is dim at best. I think my father knew the Purists’ future was on Earth.”
“Really. You mean he never intended to stay on Tarizon?”
“Oh, if it were possible he would rule it, but his ultimate goal was the conquest of Earth.”
“I knew that was a secondary plan, but you’re saying it was his primary plan all along?”
“Exactly. Although Earth has some ecological issues, it is nowhere near as bad off as Tarizon. That’s why my father engineered the building of the Intergalactic Fleet. Once it was built his only problem was getting control over it. To do that he had to become Chancellor and then abolish the World Assembly. Once he’d done that, the Intergalactic Fleet was his.”
“Right. It all makes sense now. So, had the civil war not broken out so quickly, his plan would have worked out perfectly.”
Evohn sighed. “It still would have, had he not lingered in Shisk.”
“Yes, that’s unfortunate. So, what now?”
“Well, there is no future for us on Tarizon, is there?”
“Obviously not.”
“Then we carry on with his plan. We have no other choice.”
“What plan?”
“Operation Conquest Earth.”
“That sounds like a pretty ambitious plan.”
“Oh yes, but quite feasible if we follow my father’s instructions.”
“You think so?”
“Yes, but first we must rescue Rupra Bruda. He’s being held in Shini for the alleged assassination of Chancellor Garcia. His trial was to be the first order of business of the Council of Interpreters when it convened for its next session, but that session had been delayed indefinitely due to our devastating viper attack.”
“Is that really necessary? Won’t that alarm the new government and alert them to our plans for the Intergalactic Fleet?”
“Perhaps. But we have to rescue him.”
“What makes Bruda so important?” Rohr asked.
“He’s the founder and soul of the Purist Party. Videl Lai was its political leader. My father can be replaced by another strong leader like General Bratfort or one of the senators who sided with the TGA during the civil war, but without Rupra Bruda’s resolve and determination, I fear the TGA command on Clarion will surrender to the Loyalists. When we get back to base I’m sure that will be the prime topic under consideration.”
“So, what should we do?”
“We must postpone the surrender of the Intergalactic Fleet to the new Loyalists government to give us time to rescue Rupra Bruda. We are lucky he’s still alive. He almost died during his interrogation by Leek Lanzia after the assassination, but for propaganda purposes the Loyalists wanted him alive to stand trial for his deed. So, they provided him with the best medical attention available and he recovered. Such foolishness. If they had just let Rupra Bruda die, our party would be dead and we’d have no choice but to surrender.”
“What about Essyria? Did she make it out of Shisk?”
“No. She was in the copter that went down. Only Lt. Muri and I made it out with Videl.”
“Hmm. So, how are we going to break Bruda out?”Rohr asked.
Evohn explained his plan to rescue Bruda while he was in transit from Shini to Pritzka Prison in Shisk. Evohn felt certain this action would take the Loyalists completely by surprise and ultimately be successful. He planned to volunteer for the mission himself as he would have the best chance of pulling it off.
“After all, I was the closest person to Videl Lai. He personally trained me to some day take his place. I knew Leek Lanzia and the Loyalists better than anyone. I trained with the Liberator and many of his fellow officers. And before the war I successfully deceived them by pretending to be a defector.”
“So, if we are successful, then what?” Rohr asked.
“Then we travel to Earth and build a perfect world.”
Rohr nodded. “A very ambitious plan, indeed.”
“But one that I am pledged to fulfill. And once I control Earth, I will come back to Tarizon and exterminate each and every rhutz that lives on the planet and kill Leek Lanzia and all who have conspired with him. For my father’s murder will be avenged!”
Other Books About Tarizon
The Tarizon Saga
Shroud of Doom (2013)
Desert Swarm (2014)
Cactus Island (2006)
Act Normal (2007)
The Tarizon Trilogy
The Liberator (2008)
Civil War (2009)
Conquest Earth (2010)
Other Books by William Manchee
The Stan Turner Mysteries (11 volumes)
The Rich Coleman Novels (3 volumes)
Go Broke, Die Rich (Non-fiction)
The Prime Minister’s Daughter
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