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Prince Arin strode the gangplanks of the bridge of the Vixis with confidence. To have two locus points of such power as an Imperial Governor and a High Priest of the Sri battling over who would make him Emperor faster filled his ego with lust. A lust for power, and a lust to destroy each of them with impunity. The men of the Vixis saluted him as he walked to the core of the bridge, nerve center of a vital and powerful beast. A place from which commands to give life or death went out totally at the whim of the man in the Commanders chair. A chair occupied now by Pal Bennis.
The chair looked out to a vast virtual star display, two stories tall, showing the progress of the Vixis through the interstellar void, on its way to the Sol system, home of Earth, birthplace of mankind, keeper of the Sanctuary. A place which Arin longed to destroy, to blot from the face of the galaxy. A place to show this Empire that a new ruler was coming, one who would fill their hearts with loathing, and fear. I am that man, thought Arin. Not that weasel in the chair. And he will feel the pain of my sword opening his belly, and I will take pleasure from the act of it.
Arin walked slowly to the front of the command chair, standing between Bennis and the view screen. Bennis looked up at Arin, blank visage betraying no hint of annoyance at the intrusion or the insult. Guards on either side of Bennis took up a more active posture at the arrival of the Prince Regent of Quantar.
“We will make the final jump to the Sol system within the hour. You should be in your cabin, resting,” said Bennis to Arin.
“Perhaps you’re right, governor. The Sri implantation treatments do require a good deal of rest.”
Bennis let the challenge pass as if it were a comment on the weather. Then he spoke.
“It is not your place to be here yet. It will be 21 hours from entry into the Sol system until Earthfall. I would prefer you wait until I call you to come to my bridge.”
“And I would prefer it if Lodar Veran and his agent were not in my cabin.” Bennis shrugged at this, wholly insincere.
“Did you have a nice visit with the High Priest?” asked Bennis conversationally, looking past Arin again to the stellar display.
“Yes,” replied Arin, taking the bait. “He told me of his plan to eliminate you and put me in your place.”
Bennis smiled bemusedly. “How quaint. Did he explain the part about you being a Sri slave?”
“It was mentioned. I did not take kindly to it.”
Bennis shifted in his chair. “What is your point, Arin? You begin to bore me.”
“You knew of his plan to inject me with the preparatory enzymes,” said Arin, his rage rising.
“Of course I knew it. What of it?”
“You gave me into his hands. For this I will have your life,” said Arin, matter-of-factly. Bennis made a small motion with his hand. Quickly four armed guards surrounded Arin, weapons drawn, while the two at Bennis’ side moved to stand between him and Arin.
“Enough of this!” said Bennis angrily. “I will not be threatened on the bridge of my Starliner. You will return to your cabin. You will continue to receive your treatments, per my agreement with the Sri. And if you are lucky, I will not kill you when this is over. There are others who could fill your role, Prince Arin of Quantar.”
“Not as well as I. You need me.”
“No I don’t. I want you. There is a great difference. And there are others who would do quite as well as you. Don’t push me Arin, or your life will end. And I promise you, if we succeed in destroying the Sanctuary, the Sri priest will not leave this vessel alive.”
“Funny, he says the same of you.”
“Let me worry about the priest, Arin. Your concern should be for your life. I will allow the priest to continue treating you as if I will give you to him. Once we succeed I will have him killed. If you mind your ways, I will forget this insolence, understood?”
“Of course, governor,” said Arin, bowing mockingly. He eyed the guards, then turned from Bennis and proceeded back the way he had come, under escort.
Bennis returned his attention to the view screen momentarily, then signaled for his guard captain. The captain hurried to the governor’s side.
“If Prince Arin appears on my bridge again before I call him, you are to have him killed immediately.”
“Yes, sir. With pleasure, sir,” said the Captain. Bennis called to his Chief Astrogator.
“How long until we make the jump?”
“Forty-one minutes to the Sol system, sir.”
“Excellent,” he said, then sat back and lost himself in the beauty of the star display.
***
THE GUARDS DEPOSITED Arin back in his cabin without ceremony or respect. When he entered the inner chamber, his mistress was there. Arin smiled at her.
“You’ve returned to me, how happy I am,” he said sarcastically. Then he moved toward her. She drew the pistol as she had with Veran.
“Stop where you are,” she said. Arin stopped.
“Veran will have you killed if I don’t,” he said.
“Not to worry, Governor Bennis has assured me of my safety. I don’t fear the Sri. Now take off your tunic.”
“My dear, in the mood for romance again so soon?” said Arin.
“No, but you are due for another treatment. And you must get your rest,” she said, smiling. “Now remove your tunic.” Arin did so. She approached him cautiously, never lowering the gun, then held up a small injector with her free hand. “Extend your arm,” she said. As he did she injected him swiftly, then backed off. Arin began to wobble almost immediately, then headed straight for the sleeping pallet, his eyes growing heavy.
“How do I know you will not take advantage of me as I sleep?” he said, each word slurring more than the last. She put away her weapon and placed Arin’s dangling legs on the pallet for him.
“My dear Prince,” she whispered lovingly into his ear, “you can count on it.” Then the room went dark around him, and he drifted into sweet oblivion.
***
ARIMEL WALKED SLOWLY with the small man in Quantar blue trailing behind him. The cold look of displeasure seemingly always on his face was there again now. He detested the small one, the way only an officer of the PKI could. He saw everyone as inferior. Most of all traitors. The two men were followed through the security door, past the waiting guards, and onto the bridge of the Vixis by four armed PKI officers under Arimel’s command. They approached the Command Chair. Arimel saluted Bennis, the look of distaste never leaving his face, and spoke.
“We have the Quantari officer, now, sir. You said you wanted to question him yourself.”
“Of course,” Bennis waved Arimel away, then diverted his attention from the stellar display long enough to briefly size up the small man. “What is your name?” he asked.
“Kobin,” replied the man. Bennis noted the bruises on his face. No doubt PKI work. Bennis supposed they were entitled, seeing as they had intercepted the small vessel as it tried to make contact with the Vixis. Still, fair treatment for traitors.
“And of what value would you be to me?” said Bennis.
“I was second in command to General Devin Tannace, leader of the Quantar forces on Earth for nearly two years, until Sire Dane Cochrane arrived and bewitched our people.” These last words were spoken with a venom which brought satisfaction to Bennis. Still he found no compelling reason to give the traitor comfort.
“And as I said, of what value will you be to me?”
Kobin hesitated, unsure of himself for the first time. Bennis seized the moment.
“You told these men, my associates, that you had potentially vital information for us. Give it to me now, or I will return you to them to deal with you.” Bennis smiled inwardly at the fear he saw in Kobin’s eyes. The small man assessed the situation, then played his hand.
“I can tell you exact locations of all critical bases and military targets on the Sanctuary world.”
Bennis smiled. “Very well. Arimel?” The gray man reappeared.
“Sir?” he said.
“Debrief the dwarf. Then wake Prince Arin. If he has use for him, then he may live, if not, kill him. And if at any time he gives you false or misleading statements, or withholds information, you have my permission to eject him into space with the garbage.”
“As you wish, sir,” Arimel gave a mock bow, then motioned for Kobin to be hustled off the bridge.
“So much compassion!” came the mocking voice. Bennis turned to his right, staring coldly into the peculiar face of Lodar Veran.
“Shouldn’t you be attending your new charge?” said Bennis, then turned back to his starscreen.
“The latest round of treatments has gone well. He will soon be ours.”
“And I am so happy for him,” Bennis looked to the chronometric display. “In fact, it is nearly time for him to join us.”
“He sleeps now,” said Veran. “It is not wise to wake him.”
“Priest, we will be in near Earth space in six hours. I want the dwarf debriefed and the prince awakened and on my bridge in four. If either of those events do not happen. I will kill the lot of you. Do I make myself clear?” he said, turning his head to stare coldly at the Sri.
“Very,” said Veran.
“Good,” nodded Bennis. “Now leave my bridge.” Bennis motioned to his guards. They approached, weapons drawn on the Sri priest. Veran bowed to Bennis in mock respect, then departed the bridge.
The guards stopped following Veran once he was outside the bridge area. He went quickly to an adjacent corridor, dark and isolated from the normal traffic to and from the bridge. There he was met by Arimel. “Your will, my Lord?” said Arimel.
Veran hesitated a moment, then spoke. “Has the bounty hunter’s ship been cleaned of all traps?”
“Yes, Lord,” said Arimel.
“Good. Go and wake Prince Arin.”
“The treatments are not yet complete. We will have to start this round again if we wake him,” protested Arimel.
“Don’t question me!” snapped Veran, blood red lips flaring in anger. Arimel bowed his head slightly in renewed respect. Veran continued, explaining. “Our viewing of the Earth system shows some...unusual... power outputs. I believe there is going to be more to this attack than simply taking out the Sanctuary with fusion bombs. Much more. We must be prepared for Bennis to fail. And we must be prepared to leave this ship in an emergency. We cannot risk losing the Prince. He is too valuable to us, and the Emperor. The bounty hunter has the skills to get us off this Starliner, out of this system and to a safe haven, as well as to treat Arin in transit. I will not risk him, or myself, on Bennis’ ego.”
“Ego?” quizzed Arimel.
“No ship has ever survived an attack on the Sanctuary world in two hundred years. And no record of any of the attacks survives. The ships are merely...vaporized. What makes him think this will be any different?”
“He is a fool,” said Arimel of Bennis.
“Yes, but that fool is still master of this vessel. We must move quietly, so as not to be noticed. Go quickly. Have the Quantar traitor sedated and placed aboard the bounty hunter’s ship. Then go wake the prince, and tell the bounty hunter to prepare her vessel for three more passengers.”
“Yes, Lord. But what if she does not wish to cooperate?”
“Inform her my operatives will guarantee she never leaves this system alive. And tell her that her other choice is to die here on this vessel.”
“Lord, do you really believe that?”
Veran looked around the corridor for any hint of observation, then spoke in a whisper when he felt secure. “I have had Communion with the Sri. I have felt their force of prescience and foreknowledge,” he paused, as if contemplating how much to tell a mundane, then continued. “The demons of war have been chained for a thousand years, Arimel. They are about to be loosed here, in this system, in this battle. The millennium of peace is over. We must be prepared.”
Arimel nodded, “To fight.”
Veran shook his head. “No. To win.”