Val nodded, and Forg picked up the Pin. He examined it, saying, “It is beautiful.”
“What’s inside is more beautiful. Open it,” Val ordered.
Forg turned it over in his hands, then reached a decision. He brought his other hand to the Pin and tried his best to open it. He could not, and he returned his gaze to Val.
“Let the others try,” Val demanded. The Pin was passed to each, and each failed to open it. “Place it on the table,” Val ordered when they were done. Forg did so, and Val turned the Pin in the proper direction, then passed his hand over it. The Pin instantly sprung open, and light poured forth. Within that light, a hologram coalesced, a picture of Ellie, the new Queen.
“Who is this person?” Forg asked, mesmerized. Unless he was an accomplished actor, Val decided, his lack of knowledge added credence to his story. This Chessori seemed utterly unaware of Ellandra of the Chosen.
“She is the new Queen, the Queen of the Empire.” Val reached for the pin, closed it, and returned it to his pocket. He didn’t want anyone else to see it just yet.
“Then Knights of the Realm are real,” Forg said after a time.
“Very real, but few ever know who we are.”
Forg bowed his head. “I am honored. I wish to continue negotiations.”
“Know this, Forg. Negotiating with me is negotiating with the Queen. Know, too, that we never lie. We are not required to reveal entire truths, but we never lie. Such is our promise to her, and such is our promise to the citizens of Empire.”
“I am not of the Empire.”
“You are not, and at this point in time, all Chessori are enemies of the Empire. You will serve your people well if you can convince me otherwise.”
“Then negotiations continue. The opportunity you offer pleases me. We Chessori traders have been quite successful here in your Empire. A return to normal will be good for the Chessori because it will be good for business. What would you like to know that I can tell you?”
Val was caught by surprise. He thought for a moment, then dove in. “Your ship was taken from you. Why?”
“I can only surmise, but your description of the use of the scree answered a lot of questions that had previously had no answers that made sense to us. The Chessori in some sectors appear to have been successful at insinuating themselves into your warships. Not so in Aldebaran Sector. Because of that lack of success, I believe the guild to which I referred earlier has elected to assist the Rebels by manning their own ships. My ship is probably a warship now.”
“But it’s a simple trader. Is it armed?”
“It is armed. We Chessori do not always trade among friendly people.”
“Surely a trader cannot be as heavily armed or protected as our warships. You wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Were there no warships among the treaty group?” Forg asked impatiently.
“There were many.”
“As you have surmised, we Chessori have methods of survival that do not require the use of heavy weapons and shielding.”
Val shuddered, knowing Forg was right. His memories of the scree would never be far from his thoughts, particularly when in the presence of Chessori. “Why are you headed to Orion III?” he asked.
“My guild is alive and well in Orion Sector. The senior guild of which I spoke has not needed to annex our ships there. We hope to join another Chessori trader for a ride home. Once home, we will begin the laborious process of finding a new ship.”
Val was thunderstruck. He’d been thinking too small. On his cruiser Beta IV, the Rebels had usurped control of the ship with the assistance of the Chessori. They had then expanded that control to the rest of the squadron without any fighting at all. It appeared that Struthers was, right now, expanding that plan to include the rest of the Empire. Even though the program appeared to have failed in Admiral Seeton’s sector, Struthers’ fall-back position presented an equal threat to Seeton’s ships. Would they be able to fight against even one Chessori trader, let alone a fleet of Chessori traders? He didn’t think so.
If the Chessori in Orion Sector had not needed to annex traders’ ships, that meant that Admiral Korban had caved in to demands to place Chessori aboard his own ships. Surely he would not have done so had he known the repercussions. Did he know, even now? How well had the Chessori infiltrated his fleets?
Then he remembered Harry Seeton’s lost squadron. Had it encountered the Chessori? His lips pursed as he considered the repercussions. If what he surmised was correct, Struthers’ strategy was brilliant, and possibly unbeatable. Mike had been the only one to see the plan in its entirety, and he’d been right. No wonder he was in such a hurry to get to Earth, to take responsibility for that project as First Knight. The Chessori had to be neutralized if the Queen’s forces were to have any chance at all against the Rebels.
“How can we fix this?” he asked Forg.
“You can’t. You may have already lost the war, at least in Orion Sector.”
“We have a plan,” Val assured him. “Will you help?”
Forg thought for a time, then Val realized he was probably discussing the issue with his partners. When he turned his large eyes back to Val, he said, “We don’t know what we can do. There aren’t enough of us. At this point in time, I suggest we continue our negotiations, knowing that much more is at stake than my ship.”
“To what do you refer?” Val asked.
“Our futures,” Forg responded. “If your Empire wins, there will be blood lust for the Chessori. I would avert that for both of our peoples.”
“And if we don’t win?”
“Your leader, Struthers, will be a figurehead. I believe this senior guild of the Chessori has gone rogue. It wants to own your Empire, and it will if we don’t stop it. Once your Rebels have won, what is to stop their Chessori partners from turning the scree on them?”
Chapter Seven
Val made his way to the bridge. Stopped outside by a crewman, he asked politely to speak with the captain.
“Passengers are not permitted beyond this point, sir,” the man answered automatically.
“I see.” Val reached into his pocket and removed his Knight’s Pins, pinning them to his collar as he said, “Do you recognize these, sailor?”
The man stared at the pins, his eyes wide. “I do, Sire,” he gulped.
“Take me to the captain.”
“Follow me, Sire.”
Captain Summers was on the bridge. He paled when he saw the Knight’s Pins on Val’s collar, but he stood tall and erect. This was his ship after all.
“Sire.”
“Captain, I have a request.” Captain Summers nodded, and Val continued. “I have two messenger drones loaded as cargo. I need access to them.”
“Very well, Sire. I must insist that you not endanger my passengers.”
“Do not fear, Captain. I will, however, inconvenience them for a short time. Something has come up that demands my immediate intervention.”
Val checked the navigation screens, then continued. “I see we have not yet jumped for Cordolla. After I’ve released my drones, you will proceed to Orion III.”
Summers paled. “I can’t do that, Sire. The company sets our schedule, not me.”
“Captain,” Val replied, “You will remain in command of this ship only as long as you carry out my instructions. Your remaining in command will benefit your passengers, don’t you agree? Upon reaching Orion III, I will depart, and you will be on your own again. Do I make myself clear?”
Summers searched his eyes for a time. He finally reached a decision, saying, “I would see proof of your authority.”
Val removed one Knight’s Pin from his collar and handed it to Summers. He then passed his hand over its surface, and it sprang open. Captain Summers stared at the hologram that shone forth, then sighed, a grimace forming on his face.