Chapter 40
Dreams Lost
Her head hurt. No, not just her head, but her entire body hurt, from the very tip of her head to the bottom of her toes, her body was a mass of writhing, almost unbearable pain. Masako let herself ride on the wave of the pain for several long agonizing moments before she opened her eyes and looked around at her surroundings. She was almost disappointed by the stark metal walls and the thick bars that told her she was in a real prison cell instead of a gilded cage.
She was also cold, and a quick pass of her hands showed the reason why. Someone, while she had been unconscious from the multiple stunners, had removed her clothes and put her in a flimsy white set of coveralls made out of a very thin paper material. The bed she was lying on was hard, and there was no blanket to deal with the cold. As she tried to sit up, her entire body shook from the after-effects of the stunners, and she crawled as quickly as she could to vomit in the stainless steel toilet that was in the other corner of her very small cell.
“I see you’re awake.” A familiar voice chuckled from the entrance of her cell and Masako straightened her back, wiped her face and tried to stand up with as much dignity as she could. On the way, she had to grip the stainless steel sink for support, but she managed to stand on her own after that, and to turn around. Her hair hung around her face limply, released from its normal bun by whoever had stripped her. They’d been thorough, she knew without checking. All her little secrets she normally stashed on her person were gone. At least they hadn’t thought to check behind her ear for one of her few remaining secrets.
“Bishop Torrellini, you know you will not succeed.” Masako said primly, and with a confidence that she clung to with all of her will.
“We already have, my dear.” Torrellini smiled. “We have a fleet so strong that it would take half the Republic’s remaining fleet to challenge us, we have the planet, and more troops are landing with every minute, and most importantly we have you and your abominable child.”
“Your fleets and your troops mean nothing, Bishop.” Masako said bravely. “The people of Calos will not accept your return to this planet.”
“On the contrary, dear, they are clamoring for us to send more troops, and throwing flowers at the feet of our soldiers when they land.” Bishop Torrellini had that hated smug smile on his face and Masako tried to not react. “They fear you Atrix fiends have been tricking them, preparing to conquer them with your secret armies. Silly my dear, for you Great Houses to bring your little bolt-hole ships out of your hiding places. Did you really believe the Fellowship did not know about them?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Masako said primly.
“Please do not insult my intelligence, young woman.” Torrellini scowled at her. “You are in no position to continue such defiance. Given enough persuasion, you will confess your crimes against the people of Calos. There is a choice before you. Cooperate with us, do what we tell you to do, and you will spend the days before your execution with your son in your arms, and you will be afforded due dignity with a private execution. Fail to cooperate with us, and you will be executed publicly, in shame. I know how your culture detests shameful deaths, and you can be assured that you will die shamefully.”
“What are you going to do with Paul?” Masako asked as she shivered from his words. She would not quaver, she swore to herself.
“He has a special future ahead of him.” Torrellini said smugly. “He will be taken to Earth where he will be raised, knowing he’s part abomination and determined to expiate his original sin through service to the Prophet.”
“Never!” Masako hissed as she surged toward the bishop. Unfortunately he’d stepped back and laughed at her before she reached the bars. She regained her composure and stood at the bars while studying him as calmly as she could manage given the pain and the way her body shook.
“Which will it be, young woman?” Torrellini asked. “Will you cooperate without coercion, or must I have our interrogators humiliate you?”
“I am Masako Atrix, daughter of Toshiro Ito.” Masako said proudly. “I am daughter of House Ito, wife and mother to House Atrix. I live to serve the Republic and my House. Never will I cooperate with the enemies of the Republic.”
“So be it.” Torrellini said with a shake of his head before walking his corpulent body out of Masako’s sight. She didn’t have long to wait for his torture to begin. Two yellow-eyed clones came to her cell within a minute, and the moment they opened the bars, she began to fight with the only weapons left to her, her mind and body. It was useless, as she’d known from the beginning. The non-descript Imperial clones were naturally stronger than her, and she was weakened by muscle spasms and pain. Still, she noticed one of them had a bruised eye as they put their restraints on her and carried her out of the cell.
They took her into a room that was obviously a prisoner interrogation room that had been quickly modified for extreme forms of questioning. The pain table in the center of the room was something she recognized from her own training as an interrogator, and she shivered from more than the cold of the table as the yellow-eyed clones put her on it, opening her white jumper to affix the required electrodes to the device. Then her interrogator entered and she took a deep breath as the middle-aged, thin man with dark hair stood next to her.
“I am told you are an experienced interrogator yourself.” The man said in a soft, almost effeminate voice. “When we are through, I would appreciate an analysis of my techniques. You should be familiar with how this will play out. First I will ask you some baseline questions. More than likely you will either choose to lie immediately, or to tell the truth. It is expected that you will not answer questions we can use to easily identify as truth or falsehood. For example, if I were to ask what color your hair was, you would not answer at all so as to not give us any baseline readings. We will therefore skip such questions. Lie or tell the truth as you will, when we begin the second phase your answers under the duress of pain will provide me a measuring sample to make my judgments.”
“Do your worst.” Masako said calmly as she centered herself and tried to keep her body as relaxed as possible.
“Where is the Atrix bolt-hole located?” The man asked and Masako debated what to answer. Remaining silent was the best choice for now, and as he moved on to other questions, she struggled to keep her body relaxed. The first jolt of synaptic-induced pain caused her body to tense, and she began to spasm moments later. There was no telling how long it lasted, but she knew it was a very long dose, at very high levels by the time it ended and her body jerked within its restraints, far beyond her control. She’d even wet herself, a natural reaction to the pain.
“Where is the Atrix bolt-hole?” He asked and Masako resisted the urge to tell him the truth, or a lie. They were doing this far too soon. First they should have left her in her cell, with bright lights and dissonant noises that would keep her awake. They should have fed her nothing but water, forcing an intravenous solution into her if she refused to drink. Then they should have followed with stress positions when she was physically exhausted, and only then should they have begun this interrogation technique.
“You don’t have much time for this.” She said aloud, through chattering teeth. The table was very cold and it was seeping into her bones. “You have to rush the interrogation because things aren’t going well for you.”
“Masako my dear, you shouldn’t believe all the fancies of your imagination.” The interrogator said smoothly. She sensed he was lying. “The Archbishop is merely an impatient man. He wishes to have this information from you, and he wants it now so he can make use of it.”
“So he can catch the Republic by surprise.” Masako noted and her body jerked as the pain returned, at the same level as before but no higher. They really were rushing this to be using the maximum level right from the beginning, she reflected when the pain had gone. While it was on, she was incapable of any real thought.
“You know that in the end you will be broken and do our bidding.” The man said in a sour tone as Masako struggled to get her breathing under control. “Why resist?”
“Because it annoys your masters.” Masako spat out before the pain began again.
She had no idea how much time, or how many times the pain had been used on her when two clone guards lifted her off the table. Weak as she was, and with her body still not back under her control, she could barely resist, but she did, earning herself a black eye before the interrogator could interfere.
“No, you idiots!” The interrogator shouted. “She should have no marks on her body!”
“Sorry, honored one.” One of the clones murmured and Masako smiled to herself. The physical pain actually relaxed her as she was returned to her cell and fell into an exhausted slumber. How long it lasted, she didn’t know, but she woke to hands on her body and a pair of clones lifting her again. Her struggles were weaker, and the worst she got was a slap across the face.
“It’s on the other side of the Empire.” Masako answered, the truth spilling out from her hours later. “We travel there and back by a black hole.”
The second part was a lie, added to the truth when she realized she’d spoken. Maybe it would fool them, or maybe they’d dismiss the whole thing as a lie. The pain took her again and she didn’t think anymore until the next question about any traps or devices might have planted on the planet and its defense systems. Her honest “I don’t know” resulted in more pain.
Three more trips to the table resulted in some truths slipping out, and more lies going into the mix, but she could no longer keep her mouth shut. When they took her for a sixth trip to the table, however many days or hours apart they were, she decided that she would begin the Litany. It was a long list of her ancestors as far back as Imperial Japan on Earth. Unfortunately it would give them a baseline for reading the truth of her earlier statements, but it would help her concentrate on something besides their questions. It was also completely false, and the baseline they would get from it would be for her lies, not her truth. With luck they would not realize it until it was too late.
She never got to begin as the two clones carried her into the interrogation room and she found the table already occupied. Despite the restraints on her arms and legs, she still struggled as her ears filled with Paul’s plaintive cries. Masako knew she should have expected this, but didn’t the Earthers have any morality?
“How dare you?” She shouted at the Bishop Torrellini who was standing next to the interrogator. The interrogator was frowning, so maybe he did have some morality, but he still did his superior’s bidding.
“My dear, you must calm down.” Bishop Torrellini said with a flaccid smile. “Young Paul is merely cold, not yet under pain.”
“What do you want?” Masako groaned weakly as she sagged in the grip of the clones.
“That’s better.” Torrellini smiled fully this time. “Now where is the Atrix bolt-hole.”
“It’s located on the far side of the Great Expanse on the other side of the Empire.” Masako said with a sagging of her shoulders.
“She’s said that before.” The interrogator said. “You will recall, your grace, that I marked it as probably the truth.”
“That’s impossible though!” Torrellini roared. “Nothing is past that part of space, and how would they get here from there? Answer that, woman! How do you get there from here?”
“I don’t know exactly where.” Masako said with a further slump of her shoulders. “It’s about thirty or so light years from here, in a star system with a red dwarf and a black hole. There’s a small anomaly there that allows a ship with the correct settings for its artificial gravity, and traveling at the right speed, to travel through the anomaly to the system where the Atrix bolt-hole is located.”
“Do you believe her?” Torrellini asked the interrogator who had watched Masako closely as she spoke.
“Yes.” The man replied. “Her son is the key to breaking her quickly.”
“Good, now we need you to make a statement.” Torrellini said with an air of confidence to Masako. “By the way, the clone idiots who left those marks on your face have been disposed of for their incompetence. I know you have some affections for clones, so maybe you’ll bear that in mind when you attempt to struggle with them. Any who leave a mark on you that is visible will be disposed of permanently. Do you understand?”
“I hear you.” Masako growled and she almost felt guilty. They were earth-produced clones, but they were human beings.
“Good, now as to the next thing you will do for us.” Torrellini sounded supremely confident. “I have a confession that you will read to the people of Calos, detailing how you and your husband planned to take over the planet’s government and establish a dictatorship with the full support of your father and others in the Republic’s Deliberatorium. You will tell the people that the Great Houses have each built secret armies to take over their own worlds directly, and to rule them as absolute rulers.”
“I will not.” Masako said and winced as the Bishop nodded to the interrogator. Paul’s screams filled her ears, and she nearly retched when the man had to stop the pain while Paul vomited. If he hadn’t stopped, Paul would have choked on his own vomit. He cried out, looking at his mother and trying to lift his hands to her, but was restrained by the interrogator.
“Are you sure?” Torrellini asked and Masako slumped in full defeat. She couldn’t do it. Her duties to the Republic said she should sacrifice her child for the greater good, but she just could not do it with Paul in front of her. In the end, she had been measured and found lacking. That, more than anything defeated her will to resist.
“I’ll do it.” Masako said softly, trying to gather the shredded rags of her dignity around her, and failing once again.
They fed her a broth after that, and a make-up person came in to do her hair and cover her bruised face with make-up. Someone had obviously raided her house and produced a plain black robe for her to wear. They didn’t put her hair in a bun, but rather framed it around her face so she would not have access to anything that could be used as a weapon. It took fifteen attempts to get the scripted confession in a way that they approved. She cried the entire time, a touch they found amusing, although she also hoped it would affect the make-up enough that her bruises could be seen.
The fact that they were having her make a statement told her a lot of things, and she felt a renewed sense of hope. If the people of Calos had rolled over and accepted the return of the Empire to their planet, there would have been no need to rush her torture. If Garret posed no threat to them, they would take their time crushing an opposition force on the planet, but they were rushing, even going so far as to torture Paul to get her compliance. When they took her back to her cell, she was surprised to see Paul in a small mesh pen inside her cell. He gurgled happily to see her and she rushed to him as quickly as she could, and she was grateful for the strengthening broth she’d had earlier because she was strong enough to lift him.
“Your son will remain with you as long as you cooperate.” Torrellini said from the other side of the bars. “My dear, you will be executed for your crimes within a week. I suggest you continue to cooperate and you will spend the last week of your life with your son in your arms.”
“Thank you, Bishop.” Masako said coldly, and he smirked at the implied insult.
Masako never imagined that changing a child’s soiled lines would make her happy, but as she changed Paul from supplies left in the little pen, she realized that the act was bringing her a measure of happiness. Part of her warned it was a trick, to make her feel hope and then they would snatch Paul away from her. She tossed the thought away though, focusing instead on just enjoying whatever time she had left with her son.
She didn’t dare say more than “I love you” and similar non-important things to her son. He was too young to remember the things she wanted to say, and they were undoubtedly watching and listening. Instead she focused on trying to convey to him her love. When he fell asleep, she held him in her arms and leaned back against the cold wall of the cell to doze quietly.
The thud of something falling to the floor outside her cell woke her and she looked out at the bars to see the head of an earther clone lying on the floor, just near the edge of her cell. Seconds later, a face appeared on the other side of the bars and her eyes widened in surprise. He was wearing all black, except for a single red handprint painted onto his right shoulder. In his hand was a long, bloody knife and a blaster was in a holster on his hip. His left hand held the card key that opened her cell, the bars sliding back.
“I’m from the Hand, Lady Masako.” The brown-haired man, no older than her husband said with a grin. “We’re here to get you out. There’s a ship waiting for you that should make it past the blockade fleet.”
“Let’s go.” Masako said as she picked up Paul who was still asleep. She paused long enough to pick up the bag of food and linens in the pen and slung it over her shoulder as she left the cell. Three more men in similar attire were waiting at the other end of the hallway, standing amidst the dead bodies of six more Imperial clones. “What about Imaline and Frederick?”
“Another team is getting them as we speak.” The young man said as he rushed alongside her. Her legs were weak, but adrenaline gave her the strength she needed now. Silently she blessed her husband for the day he’d made this group into allies. “Your so-called confession has set the people on fire. There’s rioting in the streets of almost every major city, and the Calosian National Guard has helped the Republic troops under quarantine get to their weapons. A loyal Calosian officer helped us get in here and disabled the monitoring systems.
“Thank you.” Masako said as they reached the other members of the group and they formed a protective circle around her. Outside in the central room that held the four cell-blocks in this building, eight more young men waited. The youngest was barely fourteen, and the oldest was still a few years away from his thirtieth birthday. All were armed with hand blasters and long knives. From another cell block, Imaline appeared with
“Sister, you’re alive.” Imaline said with a gentle hug as they met.
“Are you okay?” Masako asked.
“Yes, they stuck us in that cell and left us there, not even bothering us.” Imaline answered.
“Do either of you ladies want weapons?” The oldest member of the Hand in the room asked and both of them nodded. He handed over two small blasters that Masako took in her right hand after shifting Paul to her left. He was a big boy already, and heavy. Paul was also awake now, and looking around with interest.
“We going?” Masako asked him.
“Yes, my lady, in just a minute as soon as we get the all-clear.” The man answered. “I’m Terrence, by the way.”
“It’s good to meet you, Terrence.” Masako replied. “We thank you for your help.”
“Just doing my bit for Calos, ma’am.” Terrence replied. “My youngest brother is going to that school of yours in Twilight and he might just have a wonderful future thanks to you. That’s why we’re here, because you and your husband took our home and made it a good place instead of the dregs of the planet.”
“Just doing our bit, Terrence.” Masako smiled and the man laughed as one of his men near the entrance whistled. “Okay, we’re clear. Let’s go. If you need help keeping up, let us know.”
“We will.” Masako said as she steeled herself to continue at a brisk pace.
“We’ve got the codes to an armored police transport in this building’s parking garage on the thirtieth level.” Terrence explained as they trotted down a deserted hallway and into an emergency stair well. One of the younger members of the troop let out a whoop as they climbed the stairs.
“What is it Brian?” Terrence asked the young man who had was wearing an ear bud connected to a frequency scanner on his waist.
“The Imperials are going nuts!” Brian whooped. “Lord Atrix jumped into the system about twenty minutes ago and just obliterated their fleet!”
“That’s my husband.” Masako murmured as the entire group of young men let out shouts of triumph. Paul cringed at the noise, but gurgled happily when he saw his mother was laughing softly.
“That’ll set the Imps back a bit.” Terrance muttered.
“The Imperials are ordering a recall of all troops to their ships.” Brian announced. The news networks are picking it up now. A couple of their ships in orbit are already leaving, and the planetary defense batteries have opened fire on them.
“Let’s get a move on then.” Terrence reiterated and they resumed their climb on the stairs. One of the young men ended up taking Paul from Masako so that she could finish the climb. She was weak, and breathing heavily as they stood in front of the door to the garage. Terrence sent one of the boys to scout it out, and whistled the all-clear signal. Moving as a group, they took off into the garage at a sprint, heading for the large armored transport in the middle of the garage. They were almost there when a nearby door opened, and a group of twenty Imperial clones streamed out, followed by a very white Bishop Torrellini and his Archbishop as well as several other senior priests and a man in the uniform of an Imperial General.
“Fuck!” Brian, the boy with the scanner muttered as the two groups stared at each other for a long moment. Masako wasn’t hesitating, as she raised her blaster and fired off a shot, felling a clone in the front ranks.
“Kill them!” Torrellini roared, and the garage erupted into confusion as the two sides began firing blasters at each other. Masako grabbed the boy who had Paul and took shelter behind an hover-car, blasting down two more clones as she moved. Imaline’s shots were going wild, as were the shots of most of their rescuers.
“We’re better at knife work.” The boy holding Paul muttered as she made a comment about how the Hand was losing too many people to clones. “Not much chance to practice with blasters.”
The clones were decent marksmen and eliminated half of the Hand members within the first few volleys. Masako pegged two more clones, but knew she was being flanked. Hearing a noise, she whirled around to see a clone coming up behind her, and she fired, obliterating his chest. The boy next to her put Paul on the ground where her son tried to crawl under the hover-car, crying at the loud noises. Masako gritted her teeth while hunting for another target. The boy went down next to her as a clone came around the side, but Masako nailed the clone and turned back to fire at two clones making a frontal assault. She hit one, before the other’s blaster bolt hit her. As she fell to the ground, her chest blasted wide open by the shot, she knew she was dead, and her only regret was that she hadn’t gotten Paul out of there. Maybe, she thought as her vision went black, he’d go unnoticed under the hover-car.
Twenty minutes later, her husband looked at the images of his son, and his brother’s son in the arms of the hated Imperials. Their demands were untenable, and his senior officers had just refused to take the burden from him. With a deep breath, he squared his shoulders and resumed his conversation with Torrellini.
“What about my wife, and my sister-in-law?” Garret asked them.
“We’re not inhuman monsters, Atrix.” Torrellini scoffed. “I assure you that the children will be cared for in the escape pod, and you will be happy to see the woman caring for them.”
“What about my brother’s wife?” Garret pushed.
“She remains at large, uncaught by our troops.” Torrellini said. “Otherwise she would be in the escape pod with the rest of your family.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t accept your offer.” Garret said with a sigh.
“Now who is the inhuman monster?” Torrellini’s voice was saccharine-sweet. “Do you not care for your son, or is he just another replaceable commodity to you?”
“One ship, Bishop.” Garret countered. “One ship, any of the ships currently in orbit, and however many of your officers and priests it can carry. All your other forces will put down their weapons, and surrender. Your ships in orbit will be the cost you pay for laying your paws on my son and my wife, and for your attack on Calos. You can ransom whatever troops remain on the planet after your retreat. Those funds will be used to repay the people of Calos for any damages they suffered during your invasion.”
“You are the invader.” The Archbishop spoke for the first time. “We were invited here by the rightful government of Calos to spare their people from your tyranny.”
“Then it’s a good thing I have no plans to be a tyrant, Archbishop, because your so-called protections have proven to be woefully inadequate.” Garret retorted. “The only reason I am willing to offer you an escape at all is because it will eliminate the need to fight your troops on the planet, where innocent civilians might be injured or killed. The people of Calos are my first priority, not just the two innocent children you hold in your arms. Take my terms, or deny them. You have five minutes to decide.”
“You sure about this?” Harrington said softly as Garret signaled to Markal for the channel to be muted. The Archbishop and Torrellini were arguing vociferously on the other side of the transmission and Garret almost smiled despite the anxiety of the moment.
“Yes, I’m sure.” Garret said softly. “They don’t have to know I’m bluffing about being willing to sacrifice my son.”
“We’ve broken through the jamming and are now in touch with ground forces!” Montagne called from the situation table while Neal began kneading Garret’s shoulders.
“Thank you Neal, but not now.” Garret said to the boy who frowned before going to sit back near Montagne. Garret let out a sigh and followed him to look him in the eyes. “Neal, it’s just that the communications channel with the Bishops is still open, even if muted. I don’t need to be showing weakness right now.”
“Oh, I didn’t think about that.” Neal said with a slight blush.
“Don’t worry, this will all be over soon.” Garret assured him. “Those bastards always worry about their own skin first.”
“I hope you’re right.” Neal breathed softly.
“He is.” Montagne agreed. “That’s why their command structure has very limited oversight of military forces from the ranks of the Episcopate. By and large, the bishops and such stay out of giving direct orders to military forces, except in certain situations. Before they did that, they’d see Imperial flagships retreating from battle if they were in danger, and the Empire would end up losing a key battle or two. When the first Great War started, we held them back by doing suicide runs at the flagships where the Archbishops were located. After two of them died, they became very timid, only sending in smaller ships for small forays against us. That gave us the time to build up a real navy instead of the paltry defense and police force we had up until then.”
“Oh.” Neal said with wide eyes as the clock finished counting down the five minutes. Garret went back and sat in his command chair while nodding to Markal.
“What is your decision?” Garret asked as the two Imperial ecclesiastical leaders faced him.
“We will accept your offer.” Torrellini said bitterly. “Right before we go into the accelerator, we will launch an escape pod and then be on our way. Your children and female will be in the escape pod.”
“No.” Garret retorted. “We will inspect the escape pod first. A destroyer will stand by to receive the pod. When they assure me they have it and it is occupied by my children and wife, you will be free to go.”
“Very well.” Torrellini said as the communication ended.
“That wasn’t so bad.” Harrington said in a dead-pan voice and Garret glared at her.
“Signal our loyal ground forces that the Imperial units should be ceasing fire soon.” Garret ordered. “Also, as long as none of their ships drops troops, fires a weapon, or tries to break orbit, I don’t want anyone firing at them.”
“Aye aye, sir.” Montagne said from behind Garret before following the orders.
“Colonel Branthis reports they just captured Melmaker trying to get into a sub-orbital jumper.” Montage reported a few minutes later. “Most Imperial units are surrendering. They’re requesting reinforcements to handle the prisoners, sir.”
“Have our troop ships begin drops to assist our ground forces.” Garret ordered. “Oh, and have Melmaker put on a ship capable of bringing him here. I’ll want to have him interrogated before we execute him.”
“He’ll need a trial first.” Harrington reminded Garret. “This is no longer an active battlefield.”
“Fine, convene a Court of Inquiry as soon as the bastard is aboard.” Garret ordered.
“I’ll do that.” Harrington said with a smile. Garret knew he should be grateful, she’d just kept him honest.
As the minutes ticked by, Garret sat in his command chair and began to wonder how history would record the events of this day. He was fairly certain how the Empire and the Republic in general would view events, but he worried about the people of Calos. Would they view his return as victory over would-be conquerors or would he be viewed as a conqueror in his own right? The troops that would be landing soon from his fleet were mostly Atrix-loyal troops rather than regular Republic troops.
“Sir, Minority Leader Jean Vierre is transmitting a request to speak with you.” Markel said, interrupting Garret’s musings. Well, maybe he’d find out some answers to his questions now.
“Put him on screen.” Garret said and hissed when the image of Vierre appeared on the screen. The man’s hair had been shaved off, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He wore a Republic Army fatigue jacket over a thin white coverall. Still, he was smiling when he saw Garret.
“Monsieur Speaker, it is good to see you.” Vierre said in a hoarse voice. “A unit of Republic soldiers and Calosian loyal National Guardsmen just liberated the facility where I and loyal members of the Calosian Congress were being held. I’ve been told you’ve routed the Imperial forces.”
“Yes.” Garret said quietly. “You look like you’ve been through a rough time.”
“Cartwright and his Imperial overlords didn’t take our refusal to vote in favor of Imperial occupation all that well.” Vierre answered with a shrug. “They were seeking to convince us of the errors of our ways. As the ranking member of Congress who did not commit treason, I have issued orders for the arrest of Cartwright and every member of Congress who voted to ask the Empire to come to our planet. I need to know one thing though. Do you intend to see Congress continue its governance of Calos or do you intend to replace our planetary government?”
“I have every confidence in your ability to govern this planet.” Garret answered without hesitation. “I am Speaker for Atrix and Calos to the Republic’s Deliberatorium. That is more than enough for me. It is up to the people of Calos and their representatives to rule their planet.”
“I never doubted that would be your response, Speaker.” Vierre smiled. “I also have news of your family, although it is mixed at best. Members of the group known as the Hand worked with loyal Guard officers to free your family from where the Imperials were holding them. There are conflicting reports, but it appears they were ambushed before they could make good their escape. The condition of your family is unknown. I’m sorry.”
“I appreciate the efforts of loyal Calosians to free them.” Garret said and he did sigh this time. “I am already aware of their status. The Imperial bishops are using them as hostages in exchange for their escape. Shortly, they will be aboard one of their ships and will be allowed to leave with that single ship.”
“My sympathies, sir.” Vierre said.
“My family will be returned to me before they are allowed to leave the system.” Garret said firmly.
“Then I will pray for the best outcome as the exchange is made.” Vierre said before ending his part of the transmission.
“Do you trust the Bishop to keep his word?” Harrington asked him.
“No, but I have little choice.” Garret said. “If he doesn’t give the children and my wife over in the escape pod, I’ll blow his ship up, even if my children are aboard.”
“So you’re not hesitating now?” Harrington asked with a raised eyebrow.
“No.” Garret said coldly, although he had a little bit of doubt, wondering if when the time came he really could give the order. This was his son and Masako. No, he knew he’d give the order if it was just Masako. She’d gut him if he didn’t. Paul, though, he was another story. He was an innocent, unable to defend himself or yet make such choices for his own life. Garret vowed that when he had his son back, safe, he would make sure his son was never in a situation like this again, no matter what it took.
Two hours later, he waited along with everyone else as the Imperial troop transport slowed to a stop just in front of the accelerator. The Adamant was in planetary orbit, sending its own troops down to the planet in wave after wave. Holding camps had to be set up as the remaining Imperial ships were emptied of their troops. Most were clone troops, but about a third of the Imperial forces were true-born soldiers. Earth would pay for those to be returned to them, and that money would go directly to the people of Calos. Meanwhile the ships in orbit would be dissected by Republic Intelligence. It had been almost a decade since the Republic had scored a coup like this, dozens of Imperial ships undamaged and fully operational.
“They’re jettisoning an escape pod.” Darenal reported and Garret held his breath as the destroyer Troy Bond maneuvered to retrieve the pod. Garret let out a sigh of relief when the ship’s captain radioed that there were two young boys and a woman in the pod.
“Wait, it’s not the Lady Atrix!” Bond’s captain exclaimed.
“The Imperial ship is accelerating!” Darenal reported.
“We’re being hailed.” Markal shouted.
“On screen.” Garret ordered as the image of Torrellini appeared. The man’s expression was grim.
“I regret to inform you that Masako Atrix and Imaline Lars were killed trying to escape from confinement.” Torrellini said in an even tone. “We have returned your children to you. I suggest you take it. Don’t stop our retreat.”
“Let them go.” Garret muttered and looked into the eyes of the Bishop’s image. “You’ll pay for this, Bishop.”
“We all must face the Creator in our own time.” Torrellini said stoically. “Well, all of us humans, that is. Abominations like you go straight to hell.”
“Get the bastard off my screen.” Garret growled as tears formed in his eyes. Neal put his arm around Garret, and Garret pulled the boy in tight as he sobbed softly. Billy’s shuttle was almost here, and then the two of them would grieve together.
“The Bond has put the boys and the woman with them onto a shuttle and is sending them over here.” Harrington reported. “They’ll be here in an hour. They identify the woman as Helena Johns.”
“I know who she was.” Garret shook his head. “She’s an assistant cook. That reminds me, any word on Aaron in all this mess?”
“I’ll tell you later.” Harrington said, and Garret let out a sigh. She didn’t have to say it. He knew from her phrasing that Aaron had also betrayed him, along with Melmaker and who knows how many others. Later, he’d have time to deal with that. For now, more people had remained loyal than had betrayed him, and he’d have to keep that in mind.
Billy’s shuttle landed first, and he waited in the docking bay’s control room for his brother to disembark the shuttle. Then he had to share the bad news, that Imaline and Masako were both dead. As they cried together, Garret’s mind noted that at one time he might have thought it was good news. Here he and Billy were, they had the heirs needed, and were no longer encumbered by marriage to the women. Yet, he could not bring himself to take any joy at that thought. There were still many things to keep him and Billy from being together all the time, not the least of which was the fact that the mere thought felt like a betrayal to the two women.
As the shuttle carrying their boys finished landing, Garret and Billy strode side by side, with Neal between their interlocked arms. The shuttles ramp extended and Garret held his breath while the door opened and a vaguely familiar woman exited with two young boys in her arms. They had blankets over their heads, but the woman Garret recognized as the pastry chef from his kitchens smiled at them as she stopped close enough to hand over their boys. Garret had barely removed the blanket from the boy’s face, and had barely registered that despite the dyed hair, this was not his son when she leaned forward and in a voice just loud enough for the three of them to hear, she spoke words that filled Garret with rage and sorrow.
“Pretend they are your boys if you ever wish to see your sons again.” The woman’s words were filled with contempt, and Garret stiffened while looking down at the sleeping boy who was not his son. All his dreams, all his hopes seemed to shatter at that moment in which he realized that victory had been snatched from his grasp, and once again Torrellini had proven he could outfox Garret Atrix.
As with all my stories, E provides immeasurable input, grammar checking, and all those other lovely editing thingies that make the story so much better!
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