Alien Courage (Rise of the Empress) (41 page)

“Oh but my dear Admiral,” the Black Priest said
smoothly and with the tiniest of motions signalled to the two blacked robbed
Priests behind him. The two Priests moved quietly and confidently around each
side of the desk, seized the Admiral around the arms, and forced his head to
the table. The Admiral did not believe what had just occurred and before he
could shout out to his guards in the next room, the Black Priest stepped
forward and placed his hand on the back of the Admiral’s head. Immediately the
two Priests let go and resumed their position behind the Black Priest.

“There that’s better,” the Black Priest said wickedly.
“I will have no more assertions that you know best. You will grant me whatever
I wish and you are doing it because you want to, isn’t that correct Admiral?”
He said forcing the Admiral’s face harder into the table.” The Admiral drooled
profusely as the hypnotic trance deepened quickly to dangerous levels.

“My Lord.”
One of the Priests behind the Black Priest whispered
as he leaned forward to speak into the Black Priest’s ear. “He will be no good
to us soon.”

“Ah, such a pity but you are correct,” the Black
Priest replied and grabbed the Admiral’s hair and turned his head sideways so
the Admiral was looking at him. “Isn’t that correct Admiral?”

The Admiral moaned and spat the moisture from his
mouth. “Yes,” he groaned.

“Very pleasing to have you so cooperative.
I require a squadron of Starfighters and open orders
to proceed anywhere in the Confederacy. In addition, since you have brought it
to my attention that we are in a state of emergency, I will require an open
access authority from Confederate Space Command to enter and be granted any
request for military assistance in any and all domains across the Confederacy.
That’s not difficult for you to arrange is it?”

“No, it’s not difficult, it will be done…
immediately,” groaned the Admiral with his eyes glazed.

“Very good,” the Black Priest said, turned and walked
to the door but stopped and walked back to the Admiral who was now sitting back
in his chair reaching for his console to issue the orders. “Give me your hand.”
The Admiral held his hand up and the Black Priest grasped it with his grey bony
fingers. “You will send your orders to the Imperial Court to be signed by the
Empress so your replacement will have them as his Imperial Directive. When the
Empress signs them you will swallow this, do you understand?”

“Yes,” the Admiral said and took a dark little object
from the Black Priest and put it in his tunic pocket. The Black Priest let the
Admiral’s hand go, turned and left the room without a backwards glance.

The three Priests walked down the corridor of
Confederate Space Command Headquarters. The personnel working in the building
avoided the Priests at every opportunity and soon the corridors were empty.

“My Lord we are here,” said the leading Priest and
they entered the data storage facility for the tactical operations of
Confederate Space Command. The guards stared intently at the Priests but the
Officer on duty shook his head at them and they diverted their attention away
from them. The Officer then smartly walked up to Priests and saluted. “I have
just received orders to assist you in any way I can,” he said and indicated
with his facial expression he expected an answer.

“I wish the ship identification and flight details of
the Captain of the Palace Guard’s Starfighter. I also wish to be advised
immediately of any detail, no matter how small concerning his whereabouts or
anyone he or that Ensign he took with him have made contact with. Is that a
problem for you?” The Black Priest asked.

“Absolutely not Sir.
Please give me your contact frequency and I will
connect you with our intelligence team concerned with that matter,” the Officer
said and called over one of the personnel and whispered something into her ear.
She hurried off to get a data disc.

The Black Priest half turned and held his hand out.
The nearest Priest handed him a disk which he gave to the Officer. “This is our
contact frequency.”

“Thank you Sir and here are the details you requested
of the Captain’s vessel, “he said as he was handed over a data disc. “It
appears he has only made contact once since leaving Ennack’s atmosphere and
that was to a Volen cargo vessel, probably a pirate of some kind.”

“Oh yes.
Very good!”
The
Black Priest said taking the data disc off the Officer and passing it to the
Priest to his right rear. “And where is this Volen vessel precisely at his
moment?”

“We have been tracking her. The destination is unknown
at this time but we assume when she came about she was returning to Volen. All
non essential space flights have been recalled by all the Houses by Imperial
Order. Her present course and speed is on the disk.”

The Black Priest bowed his head slightly, “I will be
in contact,” turned and left the room with his escort. The Officer exhaled and
looked around. All the personnel in the facility had their eyes on him, the air
was tense and the Duty Officer glared at his staff. They quickly resumed their
duties, very relieved.

A short time later the Black Priest’s ship and his
Starfighter escort left Ennack’s atmosphere setting a course to intercept the
Volen cargo ship.

The Squadron Commander of the Starfighter Escort
switched his frequency to his other Starfighters and per combat training the
other pilots noticed this and adopted the rotating frequency localised to their
ships only. “No one will hear what I have to say, the frequency change is now
too fast for anyone to track us,” the Squadron Commander said punching keys on
his computer. “This mission has been ordered as high up as our Command
structure goes, the Imperial Court. I do not have to tell you your every move
will be monitored very closely as I’m sure you are aware. However, our
immediate Superior Officer is the Black Priest who heads the Assengi Temple at
the Imperial Palace. It is not our duty to question his orders whatever they
are but at all times you are to refer anything you do not understand
immediately to me. Is that fully understood?”

“Yes Commander,” was repeated by his seven pilots.

“I now have the Volen Cargo ship on the long range
scanner,” the Squadron commander said. “Ships Zero 7 and Zero 8 break formation
and set intercept course per my coordinates. Stand off one visual distance from
target and have all weapons armed.”

“Affirmative Commander,” sounded in his cockpit and
the two Starfighters peeled off from the formation and disappeared as they
accelerated into the inky void.

“Zero 1 to Command.”

“Go ahead 1,” replied the Priest’s ship.

“Volen vessel registering on long
range scanner.
Two Starfighters
were sent to intercept and ordered to stand off with weapons armed. Do you wish
that I communicate to target ship to halt or do you have your own protocols?”

“Thank you Commander. Please use your Confederate rank
and the current state of emergency to advise the Volen vessel to stand to and
prepare for inspection.”

“Affirmative Command.”

“Volen Cargo vessel, this is Confederate Space Command
Security Squadron. By Imperial command you are to shut down all engines and
maintain present position. Your vessel is being monitored by Confederate
Starfighters. Acknowledge?”

“Confederate Security Squadron, this is Volen Cargo
Vessel Delta 62-1. Your orders acknowledged and understood. Engines are as of now
neutral in energy output. We have you on our scanners and await your arrival.”

“Thank you Delta 62-1. Security Squadron acknowledges.
Stand down your shields only on our orders.”

“Affirmative, Security Squadron.”

“Zero 1 to Command.
I will leave two Starfighters on your flanks and will
advance the remainder of my squadron to target vessel and secure the area.”

“Commander, this is the Black Priest. Dispense with
your security measures. It is only a cargo vessel is it not? One of your
fighters alone could easily reduce it to junk. Take one of your supply ships
and bring me the Commander and the Communications Officer of that vessel or
have him use his own shuttle but I want him aboard my ship as soon as possible.
Do I make myself understood?”

“Yes Sir,” replied the Commander and two Starfighters
and one resupply ship shimmered, grew smaller and disappeared.

A short time later the Captain and Communication’s
Officer of the Volen Cargo ship stood in front of the Black Priest. Their large
eyes and small nostrils inflamed like all Volen when they are agitated or
angry.

“I shall report this outrage to Volen High Command.
They will take this as an act of aggression,” the Captain said seething, “there
was no need for armed Starfighters, let alone to be boarded by Confederate
Pilots. You will be intervened for your actions, I assure you.”

The Black Priest stood silently with his two black
robbed Priests behind each shoulder. He walked casually forward to the younger
Communication’s Officer and touched him on the arm, his eyes rolled and
immediately collapsed unconscious to the floor. The two Priests came forward
and dragged the unconscious figure through a hatchway which closed behind them.

“What the …!”

“Silence,” demanded the Black Priest and the Captain
of the Cargo Vessel shuffled backwards. One of the black uniformed crew members
prodded him in the back with mini blaster and placed his hand on his shoulder
pushing him closer to the Black Priest. At the same time the door slid open and
only one of the Priests returned taking up his position behind the Black
Priest.

“Now,” the Black Priest said smoothly. “Your
Communication’s Officer is giving us all the communications your vessel has
given and received since the beginning of your voyage. You will find my mind
scans are a lot more informative than the common Trigeal system.”

“What is it you want?” the Captain said nervously, his
body twitching involuntarily.

“You’ve had a visitor recently?”

“Yes, the Captain of the Imperial Guard a time frame
or two ago but that is all.”

“Precisely, “the Black Priest said shuffling closer.
“Exactly what did he want?”

“He wanted a green AX2-9 circuit board. The one that
monitors the operational state of the landing skids,” the Captain said looking
around for someone to believe him but all the personnel were hooded and he
found no eyes.

“Did he come aboard your vessel?”

“No, he was barely in visual range. Look, I don’t know
what you want but…”

“Are you sure, that is all he said and did. Where was
he heading?” came the sharp reply from the Black Priest.

“That’s all he asked for but we don’t carry spare
parts for Starfighters and he headed towards sector K55. That is all I know.
Please…”

“Silence!”

The hatch door slid open and the other Priest returned
and the door slid closed beside him. He made his way to the Black Priest who
shuffled to meet him. The Priest whispered into his ear. “My Lord, the Volen
Officer knows nothing. The Captain requested a circuit board for his
Starfighter and headed into the next sector, K55. This cargo ship has also been
smuggling stolen Irrimus equipment. Also, the Officer is dead, choked on his
own fluids.”

The Black Priest nodded and turned to the Captain of the
cargo vessel. “You are free to return to your vessel. I will be holding your
Communication’s Officer for further questioning. We have reason to believe
there is smuggling activity in this sector concerning Irrimus equipment. Do you
carry any such equipment?”

“No, we carry only mineral ore,” the Commander lied
smoothly, much practiced in denying cargo inventory but his nervousness was
still very much evident and genuine.