Chapter 6: Long Live Emperor Albert

I glanced at Sergeant Tao and Senior Sergeant Davis beside the door as I tapped and opened it. Albert looked up from tickling the baby while Molly only wiggled her fingers as she focused on the chest board in front of her. I closed the door and crossed the room to reach down and move a piece on the board. She glared at me, “Wait your turn.”

I grinned and looked at Albert, “Your father has requested you and Molly have lunch with him and your mother.”

Albert looked up, “Did he apologize to Molly?”

I shook my head, “Albert, you know I stay out of your arguments.”

He shrugged and looked at Molly, “Do you feel like having lunch with him?”

Molly moved a rook and turned to smile at Albert, “I would not mind. Of course I have a sparing match with Senior Sergeant Henry so...”

Albert grinned as I snorted and reached down to move a bishop, “Check.”

Molly glared as Albert laughed. I shrugged, “Off the record, I think he wants the chance to make up.”

Albert looked thoughtful, “It was his own fault. I did warn him not to try to order Molly around.”

I looked at the door as it chimed. I took two steps to be between Albert and the door, “Open.”

Top Sergeant Constance stepped into the room, “The Colonel would like to see you Lieutenant.”

I smiled, “More paperwork Top?”

He grinned, “Not this time. It seems the Emperor decided to endorse the Colonel’s recommendation to promote your sorry butt.”

I grinned, “You were not saying that last week when we had our match.”

He snorted as he continued into the room, “That only proves the only good officers started off as enlisted men.”

Molly cleared her throat and Albert grinned, “Men?”

Top laughed, “Okay ... person.”

I laughed and headed towards the door. I walked into Dragon command and smiled to see Senior Sergeant Samson with a small crowd around him. He was blindfolded and had an assault rifle disassembled on the table in front of him. I knocked on the Colonel’s door and pushed it open.

Colonel Beal turned from talking to Captain Harris and Captain Johns, “Lieutenant Drake, Emperor Tenison has approved your promotion to Captain.”

I stopped in front of him, “It would have made things simpler to just fill Crimson company sir or reassign me to another company.”

He snorted, “Tell that to the Emperor. He wants you, Senior Sergeant Henry and Top Sergeant Choi to be examples. That was why he had Albert talk you into accepting the commission and why he started Amber Company instead of just filling Crimson.”

I shrugged as both the Captains grinned and the Colonel tossed a pairs of Captain’s bars. “Speaking of the Emperor, he is being secretive about something. Captain Perry is thinking he might be about to step down.”

I looked at the Colonel and he nodded, “We have brought people over from Silver to finish filling Gold. Silver’s Raptor Company is down to just a skeleton so their filling slowly. You know how hard it is for anyone to get through the training, let alone the security checks.”

He sighed, “Captain Paul has requested retirement. I am moving things around, but if the Emperor steps down you will take over Gold Company.”

I nodded and he shook his head, “You will also still be listed as the Company commander of Crimson and that is not going to change no matter what rank you hold.”

I shook my head and he grinned, “Do you know what creating three quarters in each Dragon country is doing to Dragon Security or Intel?”

I grinned, “Like Choi, Henry or me are going to take a trip to far off systems just to sleep in them.”

I looked at the Colonel, “Have we gotten anymore information about the data net breach last week?”

He shook his head, “Whatever they were after it was not the schedules.”

I nodded and turned towards the door, “I will be with Albert, he has a meeting later for the Baron’s armed forces council and then wanted to meet with Admiral Adams and General Harold.”

I stopped outside the door to remove my first lieutenant bars and put the captain’s bars on. I glanced at Senior Sergeant Sampson, “Tinker? Did you have a chance to look over Albert’s car?”

He looked up from scraping in the credit chits in, “Yeah, someone was messing with the fuel feed.”

I waved and started back to the heir’s wing. I had just passed through the security arch when the servant in the hall ahead of me drew my attention. I suddenly had a bad feeling and let my right hand drop to the butt of the Mark V I wore, “Hold it!”

The servant kept walking and I saw him shift in a manner that screamed ‘weapon!’

I started to pull my pistol, “I said stop!”

Suddenly he was spinning and bringing a mini caltrop up. I shifted, turned and back stepped as my arm extended and I fired. The caltrop spat down the hall where I had been standing as the servant’s head snapped back. I saw what looked like wires at the base of his throat and spun to duck into a doorway.

I opened the emergency all frequency comm, “Dragon threat! Secure all primaries now!”

The hallway where the servant had been, exploded in shock, fire and heat. I shook myself and started running toward the heir’s suite around next the corner, “Check all servants!”

I came around the corner as Senior Sergeant Davis was reaching for the door, “A servant is in with Albert!”

I did not waste my breath cussing as I came through the door right behind him. The servant was at the table with Albert who was holding Samuel. Top Sergeant Constance was pulling his pistol and the servant was reaching towards his body. Senior Sergeant Davis fired twice knocking the servant sideways.

Top Sergeant Constance grabbed Albert and yanked him up and threw him towards us as he spun and dove on the servant. Senior Sergeant Davis pulled him past us but I pushed him down and covered him and the baby with my body. The room exploded, tossing the sergeant into the wall beside the door.

I looked around and uncovered Albert and the baby. The baby was crying and even though my ears were still ringing I heard the comm demanding a situation report. I keyed the comm as I pulled Albert to his feet, “This is Crimson Primary, one Dragon down and one Dragon needs medical in the heir’s suite. The primary is green and Crimson Dragon is moving to the Dragon salle.”

Albert was cussing as I pulled him after me. Senior Sergeant Davis was groaning and I could see he had broken both legs and possible his right arm. Sergeant Tao was halfway in the door trying to scan the hall and watch us. I pushed Albert and the baby to Tao, “Take the back way and do not stop for anyone.”

I kept my left hand on Albert’s shoulder as Tao led the way to a small door down the hall. We went down and then along a narrow hallway before Tao glanced back and opened another door. The wide hallway we stepped into had two Dragons guarding a door a few steps away.

As we started across a movement in the corner of my eye had me yanking Albert behind me as I brought my pistol up. I grunted with the impact of several light rail bullets as I fired into the man that had stepped into the hall. The pain of broken ribs had me knelling, “Get him into the salle!”

The assassin had been hit by my bullets as well as the bullets from the two door guards, luckily he did not explode. Tao grabbed Albert and the guards moved to cover them as they rushed into the salle. I checked myself; my body screen had kept the bullets from penetrating and limited the force of the impact.

As I stood, I heard Senior Sergeant Henry reporting Albert safe with Molly. I winced and carefully moved towards the door, “Gold Dragon command this is Crimson Dragon. We need a sweep of the entire palace. The hall sensors are to be considered suspect and are not to be trusted. Deploy the portable explosive scanners and treat all servants as possible hostiles.”

“Dragon’s this is Black Dragon. We have locked down the palace and Bronze is starting their sweep now. Gold Dragon primary is green and secure. Crimson Dragon primary is now green and secure. You are to hold position until Bronze reaches you. Amber is preparing to move all primaries to the alternate and has secured the vault.”

I opened the door to see a dozen Dragons between Albert and the door. Molly was holding Samuel and Albert was in front of them. I was thinking about the data net breach and Tinker’s word about someone messing with the fuel feed.

I opened the comm, “This is Crimson Dragon, all back up vehicles are to be checked for explosives. Someone tampered with Crimson Dragon primaries vehicle.”

I moved to Albert and he looked at my chest. I glanced down to see the rips in my uniform. I nodded, “Broken ribs are better than dead. If we have to run you do not wait for me.”

I could see Molly’s grim look as I turned to Senior Sergeant Henry, “You take over on primary and let Sergeant Tao take Molly and Samuel. Have one of the others back them up on close support and everyone else takes position as blockers.”

He nodded and grinned, “At least this time it is not just us.”

“Crimson Dragon this is Amber Dragon. You were right, the back ups are compromised. We are putting Dragon Nest into operation.”

I looked at Henry and then at Albert and Molly, “It looks like your lunch will be rations in the vault.”

Albert shrugged, “At least you replaced those old ones with first class ones.”

There was a knock on the door and suddenly everyone was pointing a weapon at it. “Bronze is here!”

I nodded and moved forward to open the door while standing to the side. Twenty Dragons were standing on each side and nodded to me. I nodded to Senior Sergeant Peters and gestured to Henry, “Lets go.”

A group of ten Dragons led the way while another ten followed and Henry and the other Dragons surrounded Albert and Molly. We passed through the solid ten meter thick screw doors and the crowd of Dragons that protected it. In the common room of the vault the Dragons stopped and withdrew leaving me, Henry and Sergeant Tao.

Emperor Tenison was sitting with his wife Angelina. They stood up as we came in and after the other Dragons left, I gestured to Tao and Henry and they took up positions against the wall. I nodded to the Emperor, “If you will excuse me sir, I need to see the medic and then check security.”

Emperor Tenison was looking at my chest, “You were shot again?”

I gestured in a throw away manner, “The force screen helped but even it can not bleed all the force. I think I just broke or cracked a couple of ribs.”

He looked at me and then nodded, “Thank you Jason.”

I nodded to Albert, “If anything happens you do not move without Henry.”

He nodded and led Molly towards his father and mother. I walked to a door that would have been hard to find unless you knew it was there. As I walked into the other room Colonel Beal looked up and froze before gesturing to a civilian relaxing in a cushioned chair. Captain Paul stood and tucked his arm into a sling, “Does not look like I retired soon enough.”

I grinned and sat on the stood he had vacated and the Civilian leaned forward as I struggled out of my shirt and upper body screen. I tried to ignore the pain as the doctor tapped my ribs and then turned to pick up a small medical scanner. He grunted as he looked at it, “You are lucky. One broken, one cracked and two fractured.”

He looked up, “I suppose you will not accept pain meds?”

I shook my head and he nodded before beginning to tape my ribs. When he finished, I carefully pulled my upper body screen back on and then my torn shirt. I had to undo my gun belt to straighten the shirt and then I stood and walked across to Colonel Beal and Captain Paul.

The Colonel looked at me, “We are filtering every servant and guest out through scanners. Lieutenant Balistia has shut the palace data net down and we have a couple of techs going through it. As of right now, sixty percent of the palace has been cleared.”