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  “I am told it is a minor incident, Sovereign, said the guard. “It is nothing to be alarmed about. Our security team has the matter under control.”

  The sound of battle increased and Taak grew more concerned. “It doesn’t sound like you have the matter under control. We will move to a secure location until this is resolved,” Taak said stepping away from his throne.

  The Captain of his guard drew his sidearm and pointed it at Taak. “Sit down, Sovereign.”

  “What… what are you doing? Guards, arrest the Captain immediately.”

  No one moved.

  “These men do not take orders from you, Sovereign,” the Captain said, the contempt clear in his voice.

  “This is treason! You will regret this!”

  “Treason? Those words sound strange coming out of your mouth.”

  Armed Kemmar entered the throne room. They all pointed their weapons at Taak. Finally, an older Kemmar with graying fur entered and approached the throne.

  “Do you know who I am?” the older Kemmar said.

  Taak stared at the man in shock. “Lord Toth? I thought you were dead.”

  “It seems treason has not affected your memory,” Toth said and flashed his rows of razor-sharp teeth.

  “Treason? No, you are mistaken.”

  “Is that so?” Toth growled.

  “I did everything for the future. There was no other way.”

  “You killed our rightful Grand Sovereign, and you have aided our enemies ever since. That makes you a traitor.”

  “No, you don’t understand-”

  Toth leaped at the Sovereign with surprising speed. Taak tried to evade the rebel leader but was no match for the old Kemmar’s battle-hardened skills. Fighting back proved equally futile and Toth fell upon him, all teeth and claws.

  Even after the Sovereign’s death, Toth continued to tear off chunks of flesh. But he did not swallow any of it. Instead, he spat it all onto the floor, in the ultimate show of Kemmar disrespect. Another Kemmar filmed the event and broadcast it live to the Kemmar population.

  Finally, Lord Toth rose and turned toward the camera, his gray fur smeared with blood and gristle. “Taak’s treasonous reign is no more. Kemmar do not grovel before their adversaries. They fight to the last. These humans think they can rule us. Let every Kemmar rise and show them the futility of such a goal. Rise, fellow Kemmar. Rise and kill!”

  Chapter 3

  “The Kemmar?” Admiral Jon Pike said in disbelief.

  “Yes, Sir,” Vice Admiral Kevin St. Clair said. “The insurgents killed Grand Sovereign Taak and have launched coordinated attacks against all our bases. It’s a full-blown uprising.”

  “The insurgents did all that?” The UHSF had always had an insurgency problem in occupied Kemmar space, but that was to be expected. For the most part, it was kept under control. But an uprising of this size, with this level of organization, was something entirely different.

  “They broadcast Taak’s killing. We’ve identified Lord Toth and believe he is the insurgency’s leader.”

  “Wasn’t he a Kemmar general?” Jon said.

  “Yes, Sir. We thought he was dead, but it appears we were mistaken.”

  “Their actions make sense now. It seems General Toth has built himself an army.”

  “It certainly changes things.”

  “How has General Clark responded?”

  “So far, he has focused on defending our assets, which he has done successfully. The Kemmar have done nothing that can challenge our orbital dominance.”

  Jon nodded. Orbital dominance was an insurmountable obstacle, and the UHSF controlled the orbits of every Kemmar world. “I take it he hasn’t regained control of the population.”

  “No, not yet. We do not have enough boots on the ground to do so.”

  “What about Taak’s security force? They kept the population in line up until now.”

  “That’s another problem. Many of them have been secretly aiding the insurgents. That is how the insurgents got close enough to Taak to kill him. They’re now openly siding with the insurgents and going after those who were loyal to Taak.”

  “This is a disaster,” Jon said. “We’ve spent the better part of a decade supporting Taak. Are you saying that all that work has been destroyed?”

  “I’m afraid so, Sir.”

  Jon took in a deep breath. “Okay, what are we going to do about it? What is Clark’s plan?”

  “He wants to bomb them into submission.”

  “From orbit?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Has he lost his fucking mind?”

  “Not exactly. He believes that a few well-placed strikes will quell the uprising, and he has a point.”

  “Does he?” Jon said sarcastically.

  “I think so. We’ve been busy fighting the Juttari for the past decade, not to mention the Dvorkans. We scaled back our presence in Kemmar space and grew more reliant on Taak to handle things. From the insurgents’ point of view, we have left. Their attacks increased until they went after Taak himself.”

  “They also attacked our bases.”

  “True, and our people used orbital support to repel the insurgents. The thing is, the insurgents have either forgotten how powerful our position is, or they think we won’t use it against the population.”

  Jon’s symbiont growled in agreement. Yes, bomb them, it urged.

  Stay out of this, you little monster, Jon replied.

  You are weak, it said.

  Jon shook his head. “You of all people know how devastating an orbital strike can be.”

  “Sure I do. I remember the carnage after the Kemmar bombed New Byzantium,” Kevin said.

  “What the Kemmar did was an atrocity. But the war is over. We won. And those responsible are dead. We can’t just bomb them into the stone age to quell an uprising. We would be no different than the Kemmar, or the Juttari.”

  “Understood, Sir, but that doesn’t change our manpower problem.”

  Kevin had a point. They were in the middle of a major offensive against the Juttari and faced the genuine threat of another Dvorkan incursion. They couldn’t afford to send the necessary forces into Kemmar space. “Our bases are safe, so we still control those planets. I’m assuming we still have atmospheric assets in place.”

  “We do.”

  “Then we fight smart,” Jon said. “We have air and orbital superiority, not to mention our technological edge. Those advantages can take the place of manpower.”

  “Sir?”

  “We use the personal jump system to send special forces into hot spots. They’ll be cloaked and have air and orbital support.”

  “I don’t think General Clark has enough spec ops units to deal with an uprising of this size.”

  “Then send him more. And make sure Clark understands that he is not glassing the planet. Tactical strikes only. No nukes.”

  “Yes, Sir. Leave it to me.”

  Chapter 4

  “Taymati forces have defeated the traitors attacking this system, Majesty,” General Kiith, commander of all Taymati forces, said. “As per your orders, all religious police have been arrested and await execution. We are now coordinating with loyalist forces to begin our offensive against the rebel systems.”

  Emperor Kriss studied the holodisplay depicting the Empire’s star systems. It highlighted the breakaway regions controlled by the traitor, General Tok, and the other Central Command generals who had sided with him. The AI had charged Kriss with treason, and the generals had taken the opportunity to launch an attack on the Imperial homeworld and his palace. Even his wife’s family had sided with the traitors against him.

  His Taymati forces, who were responsible for his safety, remained loyal and defeated the traitors. It divided the Empire, throwing it into the ravenous jaws of civil war. But the Antikitheri had returned and showed him a future where he would again unite the Empire and go down in history as the greatest Emperor who ever lived. While they were not allowed to intervene, they
said they could advise him. All they wanted in return was to be worshiped as gods by him, and the Empire.

  Kriss had agreed and took the knee before them. Did he believe they were gods? No. They were aliens, albeit supremely advanced aliens. He wasn’t sure why such powerful beings wanted to be worshiped, but they did, and they had plenty to offer in return.

  When they first arrived, he ordered the conversion of the Empire. In return, they gave the Empire the portal technology, what the humans referred to as the jump gates. That advancement ushered in a new golden age of exploration for the Empire.

  To Kriss, it was well worth the cost of forced conversion. But the Antikitheri had modified the AI Jon Pike had left behind. They turned it into a zealot, and it sought out heresy in every corner of the Empire. In the end, it came for Kriss and charged the Emperor with heresy. Now the Empire was mired in civil war.

  Most would think that the Empire’s conversion wasn’t worth it, but Kriss knew he couldn’t simply turn back the clock. Too much had happened, and too many had been hurt. There had been several bloody purges of “non-believers,” and the AI had intruded into every citizen’s personal life looking for any sign of heresy. The population lived with the constant terror that they would be brought up on charges of blasphemy and sentenced to death. Or worse.

  After all that, their Emperor couldn’t just turn around and say, “No, I was wrong. The Antikitheri are not gods. All of this was for nothing.” That would bring about the end of his line faster than any other action.

  His Imperial line had ruled the Empire for a thousand years, and if there was one thing that Kriss wanted above all else, it was to keep his dynasty alive. He owed it to his father, and to his ancestors.

  So, even after the AI tried to have him executed for heresy, he still took the knee before the Antikitheri. If they could help him stay in power and ensure that his line continued, then he would ensure that the Empire continued to worship them.

  “Here,” Kriss said, pointing to the portal they had built to bridge the gap between the Empire and the UHSF. “We need to take this portal first.”

  General Kiith appeared visibly confused. “Forgive me, Majesty, but may I ask why you desire this course of action?”

  “We attacked the humans and were defeated. General Tok’s forces still control this portal, which means they can communicate with the humans and Admiral Pike. They can persuade Pike to enter the conflict on their side, which would tilt the scales irreparably in their favor. If we take the portal, however, not only do we stop that from happening, but we can also enter into peace talks with the humans, keeping them out of the conflict.”

  “The Emperor is most wise,” Kiith said, bowing his head.

  Kiith updated the Emperor on several other matters including troop movements and overall readiness until the meeting ended. Afterward, Emperor Kriss stayed behind and gazed at the holomap of his divided Empire. Anger and hatred mingled together for a time until he could take it no more and left the Winter Palace’s war room.

  His nerves frayed, he sought out the one person who could calm him. The one oasis in this desert of despair. The beautiful Miira. When he finally found her, he forgot the tension he felt moments earlier. Her gentle smile chased away all thoughts of war, death, and terrible responsibility.

  “Hello, my love,” Kriss said, bending down to give her a kiss.

  “I was wondering when you would return,” Miira said. “How did your meeting go?”

  “What meeting? You have erased it from my memory.”

  Miira blushed, but her eyes stayed fixed on his, and her smile became more sympathetic. He knew she saw the stress and worry hiding just beneath the surface. “Do you know what I’d like to do?” she said.

  “Name it.”

  “I’d like to take a walk through the palace gardens. I find their beauty rejuvenating.”

  “An excellent idea,” Kriss said, stretching out his hand. “Let’s go.”

  Miira took his hand and the pair made their way through the halls of the Winter Palace. During the attempted coup, the generals destroyed the Imperial Palace that had been the Emperor’s home for a thousand years. Kriss still hadn’t gotten over it. What type of barbarian destroys a cultural treasure like that? Kriss moved to the Winter Palace after and made it his primary residence.

  When they arrived at the gardens, they walked quietly, almost meditatively along its winding paths. The gardens’ endless beauty had captivated Kriss since he had been a child. They had always been a place where he could find solace. Had he mentioned that to Miira? He didn’t think so. Yet he was sure that somehow, she knew that the gardens had this effect on him. This beautiful scholar had always impressed him with her intelligence and intuition.

  “I am planning to retake the portal,” he said suddenly.

  “The one connecting the Empire to the Diakan systems?”

  “Yes. I plan to take it from the rebels. I want to make peace with Jon Pike.”

  “I see. Will you ask for his help?”

  “No. He will not help me. But I think he would be open to a peace treaty.”

  “Are you sure? The Empire did attack his forces.”

  “They did so without my consent. The generals responsible now fight for the rebels. Jon will understand. Regardless, I will not ask for his help. I simply want a peace treaty.”

  “Do you wish me to act as ambassador?”

  “I’d rather not, but you are probably the only Dvorkan he trusts.”

  “Sadly, I’d have to agree.”

  “Then you will act as ambassador?”

  “Of course, I can’t exactly turn down my Emperor, can I?”

  Kriss squeezed Miira’s hand. “No, you cannot.”

  “There is something else,” Miira said.

  “Go on.”

  “I’m worried about my family.”

  “Have you spoken to them?”

  “No, I can’t get through to them. They are in rebel-controlled space.”

  “I see,” Kriss said pensively. “I’m sure nothing’s happened to them.”

  “But what if the rebels come for them?”

  “Why would they do that?”

  “What if they know about our ‘relationship?’”

  Miira had a point, but Kriss didn’t want to worry her. “I don’t think they know about our involvement. Even if they did, it’s me they want, not you. Going after your family makes no sense.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “I’ll have my people look into the matter and see what we can find out.”

  “Thank you, it would mean the world to me.”

  “If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

  The couple spent the rest of the afternoon wandering aimlessly through the elaborate gardens, as the galaxy and all its troubles gradually faded away. The found peace for the moment, however fleeting it may be.

  Chapter 5

  Jamie hurried through Sol System’s central space station until he arrived at its central commercial promenade. There he located the restaurant and stepped inside where a tall, lanky man wearing a black suit and sporting a pencil thin mustache stopped him.

  “May I help you, sir?” the man said.

  “No,” Jamie replied and tried to move past the man, but to his annoyance, the man blocked his way.

  “Do you have a reservation, sir?” The pompous man looked Jamie up and down making a face like he just ate some rotten fruit.

  Jamie considered jabbing the man in the solar plexus with his index finger, just to watch him gasp for air, but decided against it. “I’m meeting someone.”

  “Name?”

  “Anki.”

  “Does Anki have a surname?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know?

  “Didn’t I just say that?” Jamie snarled. “I’ll just go in and find her.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Sir.”

  “You’re right. You should be afraid,” Jamie said menacingly
.

  “Are you threatening me, Sir? Do I need to call station security?”

  Jamie took a breath. He didn’t want to escalate things. “Look, I’m already running late, and this is not helping.”

  “That may be, but you need to understand that this is not a war zone. You can’t use threats to get what you want. In fact, this behavior is precisely why I can’t let you wander through the restaurant.”

  “What do you think I’m going to do?”

  “I don’t know. With your type, one can never know.”

  “And what is my type, exactly?”

  “Come now, let’s not play games. You are a Chaanisar. All you know is violence.”

  “If that is so, then shouldn’t you show me a little more respect?”

  “No, I don’t see it that way.”

  Jamie couldn’t believe what he was going through. What was this man’s problem? He quickly considered his options. He could easily force his way past the man and find Anki himself, but that would cause a disturbance. The man would surely call security, making matters worse. He was meeting Jon Pike’s stepdaughter, after all. Did he really want this to get back to Admiral Pike?

  “Jamie? What is going on?” Anki said, walking up to the two men. She was dressed in her UHSF uniform but looked stunning nonetheless.

  “Miss Menk,” the man said. “Are you meeting this gentleman?”

  “Yes. Is there a problem?” Anki said.

  “No, no problem at all. Right this way, Sir,” the man said, and led the man to Anki’s table.

  “Menk?” Jamie said. “That’s your surname?”

  “Yes, it was my father’s name.”

  “Your father?”

  “Yes, he died when I was little. Jon killed him.”

  “What?”

  “It wasn’t like that. My father attacked his ship. Jon won the encounter. We fled in an escape pod and Jon took us aboard. He’s looked after us ever since.”

  “Wow, that’s some story.”

  “Enjoy your meal, Sir,” the man with the ridiculous mustache said, his eyes betraying the fact that he didn’t mean a word.

  Jamie responded with a look that said the feeling was mutual and sat down.