The Tortuous Path (Fall of the Terran Empire Book 2) Read online

  “And how many ships did you lose in the Pallian system?” Tavian countered. “If I recall correctly, it took three battles and heavy losses to secure that system.”

  “But we did secure the system in the end.”

  “At what cost? The losses were horrendous.”

  “War is not pretty, Tavian.”

  “Do not presume to teach me about war, Reynolds. I was sending fleets into battle long before you were allowed a seat at this table.”

  “Yes, and I can see how that turned out for the Empire.”

  “That will be enough,” Cherenko said sternly. “I understand both your points of view. Perhaps we can adopt a hybrid approach.”

  Of course, thought Reynolds. Another watered-down strategy. He was becoming less confident in Cherenko by the day.

  “We can entrench ourselves and build the battle stations,” Cherenko continued. “And we can take the offensive in certain areas. That way we can keep the enemy off balance. Reynolds, do you have any ideas for what this approach should entail?”

  “Yes, majesty. I believe we need a bold approach. The Frontier Alliance worlds think they are beyond our reach. For that reason, they have been actively encouraging other systems to revolt, offering support and inclusion in their alliance. This policy makes the Empire look weak. We need to show that no system is beyond our reach. We need to strike back at the Frontier Alliance and take one of their core systems.”

  “That’s absurd!” Tavian said. “We tried that and failed when those systems first sought independence. What makes you think this time will be any different?”

  “The difference is that I will be the one launching the invasion. Not you.”

  “You’re out of line, Reynolds!” Tavian said, rising to his feet.

  “Both of you need to calm down,” Cherenko said. “This is the Admiralty, not a playground. I expect each of you to behave in a manner befitting your rank. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, majesty,” Reynolds and Tavian said in unison, as Tavian sat back down.

  “Now, I’m willing to entertain your idea, Reynolds. I believe there is merit to keeping the Frontier Alliance off balance while we shore up our defenses. Did you have a particular system in mind?”

  “Yes, majesty, I did,” Reynolds said. “I believe the Avar system is an ideal candidate.”

  “Why the Avar system?”

  “It saw the least amount of action when the Frontier Alliance systems declared independence. Most of the fighting took place in the other systems. That fighting took up a lot of the Empire’s resources, leaving little to direct against Avar. I believe that has made them complacent. Unlike the other systems, they don’t expect an attack.”

  “But the Avar system is defended, just like the others. They haven’t let their guard down.”

  “No, they haven’t. They are careful not to invite an invasion. Nonetheless, I believe that they don’t expect one. The Avar feel comfortable, and that is their great vulnerability.”

  “What about the other Frontier Alliance systems? They will rush to defend the Avars.”

  “By the time they send ships to help the Avars, it will be too late.”

  “How will this be different from the Pallian system? When the Frontier Alliance intervened there, our ships were forced to retreat.”

  “That is true, majesty. The difference is that we were not expecting the Frontier Alliance intervention then. We did not know that the Pallians had allied with them. In contrast, we know the Avars are members of the Frontier Alliance. We will expect the reaction and will be ready for it.”

  “Very well,” Cherenko said. “I will support your initiative. Draw up your invasion plans.”

  “Thank you, your worship. I won’t let you down.”

  Chapter 7

  Admiral Reynolds didn’t like being back on Earth. His wife had left him long ago, he had no children, and his extended family was virtually non-existent. A career UEDF officer, he had spent more time in space, than he had on Earth.

  In truth, Earth had become somehow alien to him. Even now, as he flew over its sprawling cities, he found nothing endearing about the place. If it hadn’t been the capital of the Empire, he doubted he would ever step foot on its soil.

  That thinking set him apart from the rest of the officer class. With all the Empire’s far-flung star systems, being actually from Earth was a status symbol. In the UEDF, it fast-tracked you into the officer class, ensuring at least the rank of captain, and command of one’s own ship. To go any higher than that, however, one needed more. It wasn’t enough to be from Earth. You had to be nobility as well.

  This was the reason why men like Admiral Tavian didn’t respect him. Even though Reynolds was from Earth, he was still a commoner. For men like Tavian, that meant that Reynolds had no right to bear the rank of Admiral.

  To his credit, Emperor Cherenko did not share that view. The man believed in merit, despite his lineage. That was a rarity in the Admiralty. But now that Cherenko was Emperor, he seemed to be changing. The problem was, he listened too much to men like Tavian.

  Did Cherenko fear assassination? Was he trying to appease the nobility, to keep the crown? The nobility did wield immense power. Its members possessed tremendous wealth that spanned the galaxy. They all may have supported Cherenko’s ascension to the throne after he killed Emperor Detlev, but they could withdraw that support. Could Cherenko hold onto power if the nobility turned on him? Was that what he feared?

  It was all too much for Reynolds. He preferred the simpler attributes of space and war, to all the political backstabbing that took place on Earth. That was why he couldn’t wait to launch the Avar campaign. While the other admirals chose to direct their fleets from Earth, he fought alongside the men and women under his command. When they invaded the Avar system, he would be there leading from the front.

  As his aircraft entered the still pristine North American wilderness, Reynolds began to relax. He grew up in these same woods, and they were the one place on Earth that he could find some measure of peace. If he did have to spend time on Earth, he made sure it would be as far away from the overcrowded cities as possible.

  The craft came to a stop above a clearing, hovering there for a moment. Reynolds took in the view, admiring the tall spruce and pine trees, and the majestic mountains in the distance. The craft descended silently into the clearing, landing by his cabin. The engines powered down, and Reynolds exited the craft, along with his close protection detail.

  He took a deep breath, taking in the clean, sweet forest air. Instantly he began to relax. He stood for a moment longer, closing his eyes and savoring the smell of the damp earth combined with the old fallen leaves. It reminded him of his childhood, all those years ago. Opening his eyes, he stepped toward the cabin. It was time to go to work.

  His security detail checked the immediate vicinity for threats, while he went inside and proceeded straight to his desk. Sitting down, he immediately established a secure comm with his flagship, the Valiant. Seconds later, Captain David Travers appeared on the comm display and saluted.

  “At ease Captain. I have some good news. The Emperor has agreed to our invasion of the Avar system.”

  Travers smiled. “That’s great news, Sir.”

  “I just need him to sign off on my plans, and we’ll be ready to go. How is the fleet performing?”

  “Good. We’ve been running exercises non-stop, as per your instructions. The fleet will be ready.”

  “That’s what I like to hear. Keep up the good work. I’m going to tweak the battle plans before presenting them to the Emperor. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you need anything.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Reynolds out.”

  Terminating the connection, Reynolds went to work on his plans for the invasion. He had been confident that the Emperor would approve his request and had gotten a head start days ago. Would he have done so if he knew how much influence Admiral Tavian now exerted? He wasn’t sure.

  In the past,
Emperor Cherenko appreciated Reynolds’s aggressive approach. But that was before he had become Emperor. That Cherenko was bold. A man of action. This one seemed weak by comparison.

  Reynolds pushed political thoughts from his mind and focused on his work. He devoted all his attention to the effort and lost track of time. The hours passed, and it was well after midnight when he realized how late it had gotten. That realization only happened because a proximity alarm had gone off.

  At first, he thought that it must be an animal. Reynolds had set up security sensors deep in the woods as a precaution long ago. In all that time, the only thing to ever set off his alarms was the odd deer or moose. At times the sensors seemed to be more trouble than they were worth.

  He pulled up a security feed to see what had triggered the alarm and froze. There, on the display were several heavily armed soldiers wearing battle suits converging on his location.

  At the same time, a member of his security detail burst through the door. “Admiral, we have to leave. Now!”

  “Agreed,” Reynolds said, jumping to his feet. “Lead the way Lieutenant.”

  Reynolds followed as the man led him out of the cabin to the waiting aircraft. The rest of the security team waited, weapons shouldered and scanning the woods.

  They piled inside and fired up the craft’s engines. The vessel took off and immediately drew fire from the ground. Concussions rocked the tiny ship, as plasma bolts lit up the night sky.

  “Report!” Reynolds barked as he strapped himself in.

  “Shields are holding, but dropping rapidly,” the pilot said.

  “Have you requested assistance?” Reynolds said.

  “Negative, Sir. They’re jamming our comm.”

  That wasn’t good. With their comm down, no one would know they were under attack, and no help would come. “Isn’t this craft armed?”

  “Yes, Sir. We have two plasma cannons.”

  “Then return fire, damn it!”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  The pilot spun the craft around, pointed its cannons at the ground and unleashed a storm of crimson lightning. The barrage shredded trees, snapping many in two and suppressing much of the ground fire.

  “Lieutenant, do we have any combat drones?” Reynolds said.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Use them. They’re no good to us if we’re dead.”

  “Yes, Sir. Deploying combat drones.” The Lieutenant opened a compartment and produced a metal case. He pulled out a handheld device and began tapping away at it. “Open the hatch,” he yelled. The hatch slid open, and he tapped on the device again. This time a swarm of robotic insects emerged from the case. The swarm took off, racing out of the open hatch toward the surface.

  Each of the tiny drones carried powerful explosives capable of punching through a battlesuit’s armor. They were also autonomous and didn’t need anyone controlling them. The drones would relentlessly hunt down their targets until successful.

  The aircraft kept saturating the ground with plasma bolts while the drones moved in for the kill. Eventually, all weapon fire from the ground ceased. Reynolds had the pilot continue firing nonetheless. He didn’t want to take any chances and wanted to give the drones enough time to hunt down the enemy.

  “Are they still jamming communications?” Reynolds said.

  “Yes, Sir,” the pilot said.

  “Take me to the Emperor’s palace. Once the comm is working again, we’ll send a team in to mop up.”

  Chapter 8

  “That’s absurd,” Emperor Cherenko said. “Why would Admiral Tavian want you killed?”

  “I am a thorn in his side,” Reynolds said. “That’s why. In his eyes, I have no place in the Admiralty.”

  “Do you really think that is enough of a reason for him to try and kill you? Seriously? Don’t you think it is more likely the work of some Pallian separatists? Or Allimanians? You did bomb one of their cities after all.”

  Reynolds thought about that for a moment. He had threatened orbital bombardment if the Allimanians didn’t surrender by a specific time. He bombed them after they surrendered as punishment for taking too long. It was an act of iron will. Something sorely lacking in the nobility. “How could the Pallians, or the Allimanians get a strike team onto Earth, and then onto my property without anyone noticing?”

  “Anything is possible, Reynolds. If the team had special forces training, they could have accomplished it.”

  “What about the bodies? They were gone by the time our people showed up. There was no DNA evidence either. A cleanup like that implies extensive resources right here on Earth. And that points to the nobility.”

  A spark of anger appeared on the Emperor’s face, and Reynolds wondered if he had overstepped. “Have you any idea the kind of shitstorm such an accusation will cause?” Cherenko snapped. “Do you understand the depths of the waters you are swimming in?”

  “I do.”

  “Then you are a greater fool than I thought! Now you listen to me, Admiral. You will drop this line of inquiry immediately. That is a direct order from your Emperor. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, majesty. I beg your forgiveness.”

  Cherenko continued to glare at him. “Do not forget your place, Reynolds. I made you an admiral, despite opposition from the nobility. You do not stand on solid ground, and you are certainly in no position to throw around accusations at some of the most powerful men in the galaxy.”

  “Yes, majesty.” Reynolds kept his head lowered, refusing to look directly at the Emperor, lest he perceive it as a challenge. He also didn’t want Cherenko to see the hatred brewing inside him. I do not stand on solid ground? he thought. I conquered two rebellious star systems, yet I am less than Tavian? What has he accomplished, other than being born into the nobility?

  Shaky ground or not, these were dangerous thoughts, and he dared not let the Emperor notice.

  “You are a skilled commander, Reynolds, but a political fool. Do not underestimate the extent of the nobility’s influence. They control a lot more than just Earth.”

  You should know, thought Reynolds. You are nobility yourself. That is the only reason you wear the crown. They would never let someone like me ascend to the throne, just like they refuse to accept me in the Admiralty.

  “Now let me have a look at your invasion plans,” Cherenko said.

  “Yes, majesty. If I may?” Reynolds gestured to the holo-emitter on Cherenko’s desk.

  “Go ahead,” Cherenko made a sweeping gesture with his hand.

  “Thank you, majesty.” Reynolds activated the holo-emitter and accessed his encrypted battle plans on one of the military clouds. The center of the room came to life, displaying the Avar system’s yellow star, and its planets.

  Reynolds pointed to one of the planets. “This is the Avar homeworld. Over here is the jump gate.” Reynolds pointed to another region of the star system some distance from the planet. “As I said before, there has not been any fighting in the Avar system up until now. I believe that has made them complacent. Nonetheless, they will still have ships patrolling the system, and guarding the jump gate. Which is why I’ve chosen this course of action.” Reynolds waved his hand before the holodisplay, and it overlaid an animation on top of the holographic planets, depicting the anticipated course of the battle.

  Cherenko watched with apparent interest. When the animation ended, he leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “Interesting. The Butcher of Allimania strikes again.”

  “Something like that,” Reynolds agreed.

  “That title doesn’t bother you, Reynolds?”

  “Not at all. In fact, I find it rather useful. It sends a message. When my ships enter a system, the population should be cowed into submission before we fire a shot. I believe it will save lives in the long run.”

  Cherenko shook his head. “These tactics will make people hate the Empire.”

  “Forgive me for saying so, majesty, but they already do. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t rebel.”


  “Sadly, I agree with you, Reynolds. Very well. Your plans are approved.”

  “Thank you, majesty. I won’t let you down.”

  “See that you don’t. Prove your worth, as you have done before, and you will have nothing to worry about from Tavian or the nobility.”

  “As you wish, majesty,” Reynolds said.

  “That is all.”

  “Thank you, majesty.” Reynolds turned and headed toward the exit. One day, all this will change, he thought. One day the nobility will be no more.

  Chapter 9

  The Zeta battleship floated in the distance, like a great shark in a dark sea.

  “Do you think they will move to intercept us?” Danny said. He monitored the battleship using one of the displays on the ship’s bridge.

  “What for?” said one of Leventis’s men, who seemed to be in charge. “We’re just minding our own business. Even if they do, this is a freighter. There are plenty of places we can hide you two.”

  “That’s comforting,” Gerry said.

  “They won’t bother us. We’re a slow-moving beast of a ship,” the man continued. “Not exactly the best option for an escape. Besides, Zeta doesn’t have the authority to board us. Even if they pay people off, it would still cause a shitstorm. Trust me; it’s not going to happen. At least not in the Tran system, anyway. Now, if they follow us into metaspace, then that is a different story.”

  “Metaspace boarding operations are highly dangerous,” Danny said.

  “Yeah, they are, and I sure as hell wouldn’t try it,” the man said. “But you clones? With all that tech inside you? I’m sure you can make it happen. I’ve heard plenty of stories.”

  “It is highly dangerous, even for us,” Danny said. “Metaspace is an extremely hostile environment. Even Zeta wouldn’t try to board a ship there. The docking process alone would put both ships at risk of destruction.”

  “Gotcha,” the man said with a wink. “It’s okay. I understand the importance of secrets. You don’t have to keep pretending it doesn’t happen.”