Seeton, too, seemed confused. “Uh, now would be appropriate, Sire.”
Mike again pulled out the pendant and placed it on the table. He brushed his hand across the surface, and the bright hologram of Ellie shone forth. Veswicki leaned forward and picked up the pendant, not for examination but for pleasure.
“We’re honored that you came to us, Sire.” He stared hard at Mike, and Mike sensed the question.
“We have not met, Governor, nor will you find a record of me anywhere in the Empire. May I ask who you are?”
“You don’t know? I’m the governor of Triton Sector.”
“Hmm. Past or present?”
“Both, Sire. I do not recognize Struthers’ authority to remove me.”
“Well said, Governor. Neither does the Queen.”
“How is she?”
“Mending.”
“Mending!”
Chandrajuski spoke. “She’s had a difficult time since the coup, Signio. It’s a long story. Let me just say that Sir Mike has been with her through most of it. Without him, the last of the Chosen would be dead. The same can be said of Sir Val.”
Veswicki and Seeton each bent to one knee, their heads bowed deeply toward the two Knights. Veswicki spoke for both of them. “The Queen lives. We are at your command, Sires.”
“Then rise. We have work to do,” Mike commanded.
Veswicki rose and looked hard at Mike. “Just who are you, Sire?”
Mike looked to Chandrajuski who said, “You can trust both of them.”
Mike turned back to Veswicki and Seeton. “I don’t trust many, and you have not been Tested. Who I am is not important. Know that the Queen trusts the three of us implicitly. You know Admiral Chandrajuski’s background, and Sir Val was a fleet officer before being Named. As for me, you would be well served to assume I know very little about your empire.”
“Sire?”
“I’m from an emerging world, Governor.”
Veswicki stepped back in confusion. Mike took a seat, and Val and Seeton followed suit, but Veswicki remained standing.
Chandrajuski stepped in. “He’s from an emerging world, Signio, a world without space travel, but he brought her 800 light years without an AI, all manually. He’s fought multiple engagements with the Rebels and Chessori, and she’s alive because of it. He was mortally wounded while protecting her and only survived because he carried a Rider. If that’s not enough, he sent his Rider into her body, bringing her back to life after a gleason’s knife went into her heart. I saw it with my own eyes, and I saw him test a potential antidote to the gleason’s poison on himself before we gave it to the Queen. I think it fair to say that, despite what Struthers did, the position of First Knight has been fully restored.”
Seeton and Veswicki again went to a knee before Mike. He frowned. “Each of us in this room has faced equal demands on our lives, and we will face equally terrible choices in the months and years to come,” he said. “We do these things for the good of the Empire. You have remained true to your oaths, and I thank you in the Queen’s name. Rise, gentlemen, and let us get back to work. We’re in this together until the very end.”
They rose, and Veswicki went to stand before Mike. “Sire, the Empire will be forever in your debt. I stand willing and anxious to serve the Queen. I stand willing and anxious to serve you, as well.”
Veswicki turned away and paced for a time. When he turned back to Mike, he said, “I would hear your story, First Knight. Clearly, you’re a survivor, and just as clearly, you’re a fast learner. Before that, though, I must ask if you fully understand what you’ve given us?”
“I believe I do, but I’m also a good listener. Why don’t you enlighten me.”
“Imagine if you will, Sire, a rope bridge crossing an abyss. Immediately after the coup, Harry, me, Chandrajuski, and all the Empire leadership suddenly found ourselves stranded on that bridge. The ropes are fraying and will not hold much longer. We’re much closer to the side of the Rebel politicians – it’s easier and quicker to head their way – but for some of us, most of us I hope, our principles and ethics beckon from the far side. Now, with the gift you’ve given us, we discover the Queen standing on that far side beside those principles.
“ The decision is easy for us, Sire, and it will be clear to many others as well, but we have to move briskly if we are not to fall into the abyss.”
His lips pursed with concern. “We were almost ready to move here in Aldebaran Sector before Krys’ arrival. We can deal with the Rebels, but not the Chessori. She warned us about them, thankfully, but we don’t have any kind of plan for dealing with them yet.”
“How much do you know about the Chessori?” Mike asked.
“We know as much as she knows, including what happened at Dorwall and during her missions. We know they have some sort of mind weapon. She’s convinced us to keep our distance from them.”
Alarm filled Val’s eyes. “She’s had run-ins with them? How did she survive?”
“Her Great Cats manage to function, Sire. She acquired a changeable beacon along the way, so she’ll show up as a different ship everywhere she goes. Her hope is that the changeable beacon will extend her mission. The risk now is if she’s identified during her stops. She can’t change the beacon until she’s out of the system.”
“Where did she get the means to modify her beacon?” Chandrajuski asked. “It wasn’t from me.”
“From Korban.”
Chandrajuski’s mouth opened into a grin again. “She’s working down the list, and it appears she’s been as convincing as I’d hoped. I should have given her the modification before I sent her out. My mistake. I’m glad Korban rectified it.”
Val leaned back into his chair, his eyes just slits. “Admiral Seeton, you have a new governor here. Have you been ordered to accept any Chessori as crewmembers?”
“I’ve been ordered to train them, Sire. The Chessori have brought a large number of their own military crews for the process. Since they’re already trained to their own standards, I was ordered to compare those standards with our own by placing them in active positions aboard ships. I have not complied, nor will I.”
“How can you not comply?”
“I have informed the sector commander that it is illegal for me to recruit from outside the Empire. If they ever become members of the Empire, I’ll insist they pass muster at an Academy. Following that, I’ll have to think of something else. They’re not getting on my ships.”
“I served on a ship with a mixed crew, sir. I believe it was one of the first. I can tell you that a small number of Chessori took over the ship without a fight. They activated their mind weapon long enough to secure those of us who would not support the Rebels, then they turned it off. The regular crew resumed control of the ship, but only so long as the Chessori allowed.”
Seeton and Veswicki both looked ill. “The rest of the crew went back to business as usual after that?” Seeton demanded.
“I was in the brig, but I believe they did, sir. If you’re a Rebel, and if the Chessori are on your side, what’s a little pain compared to a sure win? Do not ever let even one of them on your ships, sir.”
“I get the feeling you’ve been organizing something?” Chandrajuski asked later. “It’s time you brought us up-to-date.”
Veswicki spoke for himself and Seeton. “Before Krys’ visit, we were considering going rogue.” Mike’s eyebrows rose, but Veswicki didn’t apologize. “Sire, we knew the Chosen were all dead. Our choices were to cave into Struthers, or attempt to resurrect some kind of structure based on Empire standards. His way is wrong.”
He glanced at Chandrajuski, then back to Mike. “So was ours, Sire.”
Mike sat back and nodded. He and Chandrajuski had had this same conversation, though Veswicki didn’t know it.
“Our models showed both plans, his and ours, ultimately failing. Our plan at least had a chance. It would give us time, time to look for the right charismatic leader, or perhaps some other mechanism as yet unknown, that would provide acceptable leadership to the multitude of worlds and races throughout the Empire. None of us is that right leader. Our plan was to buy time.”