Lana’s pistol would have to go; it had a biometric lock and a tracer built in. The stunner, however, didn’t have such features, so Lysandra pulled it out and pocketed it.
She also removed a flashlight and multitool.
Stepping from her temporary hiding spot, she casually walked back to the restaurant, dumping the belt and gun down the first garbage chute she passed.
Reaching the main area of the restaurant, she spotted the maître d’ and approached. “Excuse me, sir,” she said. “But it appears my bodyguard has disappeared while I was using the facilities.”
“The rather severe-looking woman in the red jacket, My Lady?” the maître d’ asked.
“Yes, that would be her,” Lysandra said. “Have you seen her?”
The maître d’ shook his head. “I’m afraid not, My Lady.”
Lysandra narrowed her eyes and summoned up an air of royal disapproval. “Then you should start looking for her.”
The maître d’ blanched. “Of-of course, My Lady! I will have security search for her at once! Shall I assign one of them to guard you?”
“No, I will take the elevator to the garage where the rest of my protection detail is waiting,” Lysandra said.
The maître d’ bowed. “Of course, My Lady. I promise you, if your bodyguard is still here, we will find her. Shall I lead you to the private elevator?”
“No, I know the way. Focus your energies on finding Lana,” Lysandra said.
“As you wish, My Lady,” the maître d’ said, scurrying away to bark orders at his staff, leaving Lysandra unattended, just as she planned.
She headed for the elevator, not the private one toward the center of the restaurant, but one of the large public ones running down the side of the tower.
No one seemed to take notice as she strode inside and hit the button for the ground floor of the tower, closing the doors behind her. She sighed with relief and decided to admire the view from the elevator’s glass walls as it descended.
For the next few minutes, she just watched as New Pergamum’s sparkling skyline rose before her.
When the elevator doors parted, a group of people were waiting for her on the other side. Her breath caught in her throat, and she almost summoned her variblade to her hand.
“Are you getting out on this floor, miss?” asked an older man in the group.
“What?”
The older man grimaced. “I asked if you were getting out on this floor. Have you had too much to drink?”
They don’t recognize me!
she thought, giggling.
The old man sighed. “Are you coming out or not?”
She composed herself and said, “Yes, sorry,” walking from the elevator. The group milled into the elevator, and the doors slid shut.
Alone in the lobby, she just stood there for a few heartbeats. Then she remembered what she was doing and turned toward the main entrances and walked out into the night.
Chapter 18
“We’re ten minutes out from the jump point, Captain,” Fara said from the pilot’s seat. “Anything special you want to do?”
“Just the usual,” Victor said. He hit the shipwide intercom. “Battle stations.”
Alarms sounded as the
Alexander
went to full alert.
“Reactors are at full power, Captain,” Cormac reported from engineering.
“Thank you, Cormac,” Victor said. He then opened a channel to the
Waynesburg
. “Captain Quill, my ship’s at full combat-readiness.”
“Understood, Captain Blackhand. Looks like the flotilla is ready for anything,” Harlan said.
“One would hope, Captain,” Victor said. “Assuming there’s nothing waiting for us on the other side, I’d like to take the
Alexander
and the
Nova
and head for our assigned system.”
“You have my go-ahead, Captain Blackhand. No need to wait on my account,” Harlan said.
“Much appreciated, Captain Quill. I’ll see you on the other side.” Victor closed the comm and waited for the jump.
It was finally happening or, at least, was about to happen. His second war with Lysander, his chance to avenge Savannah. The thought filled him with anticipation to the point that it took a conscious effort not to drum his fingers against the armrest of his seat.
There was a chance the Lysandrans would stand down, but Victor wouldn’t bet on it. Emperor Magnus, a man willing to kill a planet to avenge his sons, was not the kind of man to mobilize for a war and not follow through.
The Lysandrans were coming. Hopefully, whatever strange fate had carried Victor this far would let his ship be the one to spot the invasion fleet first.
“Jump in ten seconds,” Fara said, holding out her hand, fingers outstretched, which she closed one at a time as she counted down. “Five…four…three…two…one, jump!”
The starfield shifted ever-so-slightly, but Victor didn’t have time to admire it because the sky before the
Alexander
was almost completely blocked out by hostile contacts.
“Uh-oh,” Fara said.
“Yeah, uh-oh,” said Victor. “Turn the ship around and burn for the jump point. Stay in formation with the cruisers if you can.” He then opened a channel to Harlan. “Captain Quill, it looks like something is on the other side.”
“Yes, and three Lysandran battlefleets was not something we’re ready for. Head back to the jump point and return to the Uffizi system as fast as you can!” Harlan said.
“Already on it,” Victor said.
“Good. Stay in formation and stop for nothing!” Harlan closed the channel.
“Looks like the Lysandrans are invading,” Fara said. “Why aren’t they shooting at us?”
“Because they’re as surprised as we are. Don’t expect that to last,” Victor said.
It didn’t. Thousands of Lysandran warships launched a terrifying number of missiles at the fleeing flotilla. Only the flotilla was not fleeing; their jump momentum still carried them directly toward the Lysandran fleet.
“It’ll take two minutes for those missiles to reach us. How long until we reach the jump point?” asked Victor.
“Two minutes and ten seconds, Captain. Assuming we try to maintain formation with the cruisers,” said Fara.
A broadcast came from the
Waynesburg
. “All frigates, break formation and head through the jump point at best speed. The cruisers will remain behind to delay the enemy.”
“Did Harlan Quill just order us to abandon him?” Fara asked.
Victor didn’t answer Fara; instead he opened a channel to the
Waynesburg
. “Captain Quill, you can’t seriously expect me to follow that order.”
On the monitor, Harlan shook his head. “There’s no way my cruisers are getting through the jump point before those missiles hit. And, even if we did, we’d never outrun the Lysandran picket ships that will pursue us through the jump point. Better we stay here and delay them.”
“We can try to shoot down the missiles,” Victor said.
“My cruisers are full of mines, remember, Captain Blackhand? Not as much good as countermissiles. And, besides, it’s too late for you to convince me otherwise. My cruisers are already turning toward the Lysandrans.”
Indeed, on the tactical screen, the Mustanger cruisers turned around while the frigates had detached and moved toward the jump point, leaving the
Alexander
alone between them.
Victor’s heart sank. “Harlan, you don’t have to do this.”
“You would’ve done the same for Savannah, Victor,” Harlan said, then he killed the connection.
Victor looked at the blank screen. “I did do the same.”
“Captain?” Fara asked.
Victor sighed and said, “Full burn for the jump point, Fara.” He then opened a channel to engineering. “Cormac, run the reactors as hard as you can. I need every g of acceleration you can give me.”
“I’m boosting the reactors to 150 percent, Captain,” Cormac said.
The
Alexander
’s engines flared to life, and the ship’s acceleration jumped from 150 to 210 gs in just a few seconds, though Victor felt none of it, thanks to the protection of the AG field.
Soon the
Alexander
accelerated toward the Uffizi jump, gaining on the Mustanger frigates.
It took less than a minute for the
Alexander
to reach the jump point. All the while Victor watched as Harlan Quill’s eight cruisers charged straight toward the Lysandran’s fleet.
The swarm of missiles arched toward the cruisers, closing in on the doomed warships like the jaws of some great beast.
The missiles were barely seconds from impact when the
Alexander
reached the jump point, and the missiles, cruisers, and Lysandran fleet disappeared from view.
Chapter 19
The eight Mustanger cruisers that had unexpectedly jumped in ahead of the forward elements of the Second Battlefleet were annihilated by the first wave of missiles.
The first “battle” of the Free Worlds-Lysandran War lasted little more than a couple minutes. But despite the fact all eight cruisers died without firing a single shot in return, it had not been a complete victory for the Lysandra Empire.
“So much for our surprise,” Magnus said. The cruisers may have been destroyed with ease, but the frigates escorting them had turned around and jumped back to the Uffizi system before the first warheads detonated.
“Should we send our own picket ships after them, Your Majesty?” Grand Admiral Phane asked via holoprojection. The high admiral was aboard his own vessel, the Imperial
Fist
, flagship of the Second Battlefleet.
“They should first scout the other side of the jump point and make sure those cruisers weren’t part of a larger fleet. If it’s clear, your pickets are to pursue the enemy frigates from the system,” Magnus said. “Admiral Loris.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?” Loris asked, standing next to him in the
Spear
’s war room.
“Delay the First Fleet’s division from the rest of the invasion force until after our pickets chase those frigates from the Uffizi system,” Magnus said. “No point in doing our pincer movement in full view of the enemy.”
She nodded. “Understood, Your Majesty.”
“I’m sending my pickets out immediately, Your Majesty,” Grand Admiral Phane said.
“Good,” Magnus said. The connection to Admiral Phane closed. Magnus turned to Admiral Loris and continued, “Contact me if the pickets find anything interesting.”
She nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
He left the war room, bodyguards in tow, and returned to his cabin.
There he lit a cigar and took several puffs, calming his nerves.
He had just lost the element of surprise. The Alliance would learn he was coming. All he could do now was keep them guessing as to where exactly he was going.
At least according to the latest intelligence reports from General Solari, the Alliance fleet was still in the Mohawk system. Even if they immediately moved toward Mustang, they wouldn’t get there before the First Fleet moved into the Gaddon system to block them.
The invasion was still likely to succeed and not just because he had bet the empire’s future on it. Admiral Loris had given him Savannah. She would give him Mustang.
After this, he would probably force Tolen Phane into retirement and elevate Loris to grand admiral. He’d have to give Phane something to make up for losing his position. Perhaps make him Governor-Militant of Mustang. That ought to keep him happy.
Chapter 20
“The hell?” Victor said after the
Alexander
jumped into the Mustang system. There were a lot of ships here, far more than he expected.
“The whole Alliance fleet is here!” Fara said.
“Yeah,” Victor said. “But it shouldn’t be.”
A
ping
came in. It was a simple flash message from the
Gryphon
. High Councilor Quill wanted to speak with Victor, in person.
“Fara, move us to dock with the
Gryphon
. I have a meeting to attend,” Victor said.
“You sure that’s such a good idea, Captain?” Fara asked.
“No, but I’m going anyway,” Victor said.
“Harlan’s death wasn’t your responsibility,” Fara said.
“I know that. Hopefully I can convince the high councilor of that,” Victor said. “Now take us in. Grieving fathers are not known for their patience.”
“Roger that, Captain,” Fara said.
It didn’t take long to reach the
Gryphon
; it was loitering near the Janus jump point, along with the rest of the Alliance fleet.
Victor got up from his seat when the
Alexander
was just a few minutes from docking. “You have the bridge, Fara. Take us in.”
Fara sighed. “You got it, Captain.” She leaned around her seat. “Be careful in there.”
Victor smiled. “I'll be as careful as I usually am.” He left through the front hatch and headed to the docking port.