Chapter 27

“David, could you please attend the Empress!” an AI requested, having woken both of us up with an alarm, though fortunately not Kiria, who was still sleeping quietly.

“Of course,” I mumbled.

“It is most urgent. Please, just dress. A lift awaits you.”

I pulled on yesterday’s coverall and stumbled across the bedroom as a lift appeared and took me to somewhere new.

“Thank you, Dave,” Herrick greeted me as I stepped out of the lift, still dead tired, but at least functional.

“No problem, what’s up?”

“Someone attempted to kill Manny an hour ago. Nearly succeeded but for a bit of luck on her part and the proximity of her personal defence grid. Problem is the weapon used was coated with a neurophasic toxin that our Healers have never seen before and it’s killing her still.”

“OK. You want me to fix it?”

“Please.”

“No problem. Just please, don’t have issues over this. It’s not like I have a choice.”

“I know, my friend. If it does become a problem I’ll opt for a mind-wipe. Though I know there is no reason why it should.”

Amantil looked ghastly. Her normal, healthy, ‘peaches and cream’ skin tones were gone and she looked almost as if she had a greenish tinge. Her breathing was laboured to the extent that I felt every breath might just be her last. I was surprised to see Cass amongst the Healers and other staff, though was thankful when she took charge and started clearing the room.

“I can’t put her under, Dave,” Cass advised. “It would kill her.”

“Quick and nasty it is then,” I nodded, disrobed and lubed myself up, bringing myself manually to the point where I was on the cusp of ejaculation while Cass prepared Amantil for me.

Moving to Amantil I swiftly mounted her and within seconds released into her as Cass stood right next to me using her wand to keep the stricken Empress alive during the procedure.

“Oh, by the gods, it’s working,” Cass confirmed as the rasping breaths eased and Amantil’s normal skin colour began to return.

“Good. Now, what the hell happened?” I asked as Amantil came round.

“Somehow my security got compromised,” she replied. “I keep my movements random, but there are only so many routes I can take when actually going to one of my sleeping quarters. They either had them all marked, or they just got lucky.”

“Is the one who did this alive?”

“Yes, but he won’t know anything due to mind-wipes. He’s not an Imperial subject and was paid in platinum bars from an unknown source. We’re trying to trace his contacts via his movements, but these are professionals and very good at what they do,” Herrick’s voice came from the doorway as he came in to hug his lover.

“There must be an organisation out there that arranges these things. Just a case of finding them and getting someone to talk. Doubt it will be easy though, but someone, somewhere will know something,” I replied thoughtfully.

“Unfortunately there are a lot of organisations out there which are capable of arranging these things, though few which would be willing to make an attempt on Manny. A good few are in other Realms where we can’t touch them.”

“Why not?” I asked. “Surely this is an act of war? Attempting to take down an Empress!”

“Private organisations, unfortunately,” Amantil replied as she was fussed over by the various Healers.

“So go directly to the top and inform the rulers of those Realms that you want those organisations rounded up or sanctions will be imposed,” I shrugged.

“It’s worth a try, Manny. Sanctions would hurt them far more than they would us. Plus, I’m sure Jessin would go after the one in the Gershon realm as a favour to us for what Dave did for her,” Herrick nodded.

“I’ll consider it, but not until we have wrung this assassin dry,” Amantil replied as Regencia Meritocrat Bonsarr arrived, looking flustered, if overjoyed, to see Amantil OK.

“Thank the gods,” she finally said after the various greetings. “I only agreed to become heir to add a bit of stability to the Empire. I most certainly do not want your job, Amantil. My husband even advised against it.”

“I’m glad you didn’t get a promotion today either, Bonsarr,” Amantil replied with a grin, making Bonsarr giggle.

“As am I, my good friend, as am I.”

“I caught the conversation between Herrick and David. They’re right; you do need to become proactive in this. Time to stop looking at the fruit and start shaking the tree to see what falls out.”

“I will consider it, but it will have to be done carefully. I do not want them all deciding to come after me.”

“Oh, goodness me, no,” Bonsarr agreed. “But you do need to do something, if only to warn against trying this sort of thing.”

“Regencia Meritocrat Bonsarr is correct in this, Serenissima,” I added formally. “Appearing to do nothing merely encourages another attempt.”

“Very well, hurry through the interrogation, see if we can trace his movements and let’s start to light some fires under these organisations to see if we can flush anyone out,” Amantil sighed.

“I’ll get straight on it,” Herrick nodded and left the room.

Bonsarr and I made polite conversation as Amantil withdrew to get cleaned up and dress. For all I had once cured the lady, she had no memories of it and so our conversation was mostly about family and the odd demands of our jobs ... well, my job mostly. Bonsarr, on being declared Amantil’s official heir, was still the High Bureaucrat in charge of Stellar Area Eight, the area the Empire was expanding into. It contained a good few worlds both within and without the Empire; some where lawlessness and piracy were quite prevalent. Hence I thought she was likely to need a transfer to somewhere safer, not that it seemed to bother her much.

“Do you like the travel?” I asked.

“Not really, it keeps me from home and family. The worlds and people are interesting enough though,” she replied.

“So you’re the one who hands out invites to join the Empire?”

“Well, I will be if one comes along. They are pretty rare though, a lot of planets protect their independence jealously. I am a supervisor for the Imperial Scout Assessors we send in to see if they are ready to be sent an invite. After that it’s just sit and wait.”

“I met and cured one of those several months ago, it’s a risky job.”

“Berona?”

“Yes, lovely Lady, just unfortunate to be on a world where she caught a condition they did not have the means to detect,” I nodded.

“Yes, she retired and went home to die ... essentially. Though never informed me or my office as to why, not until after she was cured,” Bonsarr sighed. “Stupid pride, I would have paid for her cure, she was one of my best.”

“Well, she got lucky and ran into me,” I chuckled.

“She has a son now.”

“Good for her. Nice to see life goes on after I get involved.”

Amantil had now re-emerged and was being given last minute scans by the Healers before dismissing them all, except for Cass. She then apparently sent for an early breakfast for us all as she was joined by Herrick and also Kirim who came out of the lift pushing Kiria along in a floating carrier. Other arrivals were Hiqua and Vilgra who were introduced to Bonsarr as part of Amantil’s friends and ideas group.

“They’re people I trust and can bounce ideas off,” being the final explanation.

“Good idea, wish I’d thought of getting people like that,” Bonsarr nodded.

“Oh, I don’t always use their ideas, but they do give a perspective on various things which is invaluable.”

“Nevertheless, it’s still a good idea as they aren’t part of the Court’s machinations and none are power-seekers in their own right, unlike a lot of the High Court.”

Breakfast was brought in and we all began to eat, the conversation freewheeling over a variety of subjects, though eventually returning to the attempted assassination of Amantil.

“So you believe there is a cabal somewhere amongst all the higher Nobles, Bureaucrats or Corporates who seeks to displace you?” Bonsarr asked with a frown when brought up to date by Amantil and Herrick.

“Not even sure if it’s a cabal, it might be just one person. But, whoever they are, they’re well resourced, well informed and well hidden,” Amantil replied.

“The timescale lowers the possibilities,” Bonsarr nodded. “But not nearly enough, plus there’s an outside chance it’s a generational thing.”

“I don’t think it’s generational,” Herrick noted. “The attacks were far apart to be sure, but both showed the same deft touch in the planning.”

“And the second only came about due to Manny becoming a slightly more public figure and increasingly popular to her subjects,” I added. “Couple this with the taking down of Tarsil and Cillort and, suddenly, taking out the Empress directly becomes increasingly more likely than a popular uprising or her being controlled from behind the scenes.”

“Yes, I see that, but the problem then becomes who would rise in Amantil’s place. Yes, she named me as heir, but believe me, it’s not really a job I want and if what you’re saying is true, it would place me in the crosshairs as well, along with my family.”

“You can step down any time you wish, Bonsarr,” Amantil replied, reaching out to squeeze her hand.

“Thank you, but no. When I take on a task it gets done. Plus as long as you’re alive, they won’t bother to go after me and mine,” she chuckled grimly.

“Who would have the necessary support or power base to take over the Empire if, say, Amantil were assassinated and there was a minor civil war?” Vilgra asked.

“Hard to say,” Herrick mused out loud. “Meritocrat Honack, perhaps, though she’s disinterested in power as such. She’s had ample opportunity to seek out more power by becoming the High Court Arbitrator.”

“Power, yes, but that’s a poisoned chalice too,” Bonsarr replied. “Honack values her friends and the Arbitrator role often requires you to be impartially ruthless and eventually leaves you friendless as the current chair Meritocrat Wellat has found.”

“Yes, hated yet respected by all,” Amantil chuckled. “He was an old friend of my Father, until he got promoted and they started butting heads over procedural matters and what the Emperor could and couldn’t get away with.”

“Same with the rest of us Nobles and Bureaucrats,” Bonsarr nodded. “Doesn’t appear to bother him though.”

“Would that sort of power translate to a power grab for the throne?” Kirim asked.

“No,” Herrick replied. “The man has no support at any level of the government, just the power to slap down fractious debates and enforce procedure. That doesn’t make you friends, believe me.”

“If anything Wellat is just as big a target for assassination as you are Amantil, if the High Court were inclined that way,” Bonsarr chuckled.

“I don’t know,” I mused. “The High Court usually can’t agree on anything. Could they perhaps get behind someone none of them liked, but all respected?”

“I doubt it, David,” Bonsarr replied, but didn’t look any too sure.