Knight of the Empire

I still didn’t know to expect when I reached the palace. The atmosphere within the Wombat was more relaxed. These Marines didn’t hold a grudge over what happened on Tate’s World. They seemed to be in awe of my combat skills. I heard the Wombat gear down and slow finally coming to a stop. I waited with baited breath as the ramp slowly lowered and the Marines stormed out taking defensive positions around the vehicle.

“Stay here,” I said to Gena, adding to the two female guards with her. “Stay with Gena.” They knew better than to try and argue with me when I was in this sort of mood. I exited the Wombat the remainder my guard flanking me moving at a more cautious pace.

We were in the vast underground garage that led to the palace still a thousand metres distant. Only official vehicles could progress further into the complex. The Wombat had stopped facing the entrance to the palace while its tail faced the exit ramp. Besides the entrance and exit there were two further gates both leading to areas for the palace workers and officials those that actually lived off the palace grounds. The Wombat was far too large to go further. The entrance to the palace complex was smaller than the exit ramp. The Wombat could have forced its way through but not without loosing its turret and side armaments. I noted that the blast doors to the private parking lots were shut and two green painted Wombats guarded those, their main weapons fixed on the exit ramp. Another squat slab sided heavy vehicle guarded the entrance to the palace. I recognised it as a tracked Prowler AFV its one-twenty millimetre railgun quite capable of destroying three Wombats. Ellie must be taking things seriously. That worried me and I wondered about my younger cousin, she was unsuited to combat. If what had happened to me could have happened to Ellie. I was used to combat situations but Ellie wasn’t nor was Camelia.

The sound of an alarm had me turning my hand on the weapon I had strapped to my chest. My fingers rested lightly on the trigger grip while my other hand gripped the strap release I was ready for action. I watched the massive gates to the exit ramp slide into place. The palace was on lock down no one was going to get in or get out. I knew one way it could be bypassed that would be of no use to me since the escape route relied on biometrics and mine had been locked out of the system. From behind one of the Wombat an officer hurried out. I was instantly suspicious he was wearing naval colours on his collar and cuffs rather than the Imperial purple and green. He stopped a few metres outside the protective ring formed by the Marines.

“Colonel Locke?” There was an edge to this tone of voice.

I noted that he was not using my title. I flicked a sign to the Marines glad that unlike the squad from the Havok I had learned the correct hand signals. “Yes,” I replied watching the man’s every move.

“You must come with me!” Again there was a hint of nervousness in his voice clearly he hadn’t expected my Marine escort.

“Where are we going?” I asked my hand releasing the strap while my other tightened my grip on my weapon. I leaned slightly forward as my weapon swung into position pointing directly at the man. “And you are?” I said putting enough menace into my voice.

He backed off a step confirming my suspicions and reached for his sidearm.

“Drop your weapon!” I ordered.

The situation was on a knife-edge. I could see my guards and the Marines preparing to fire. Suddenly before the officer could draw his weapon he jerked back clutching at the back of his neck. Then slowly he toppled over face down. His face hit the hard concrete surface of the garage with a sickening crunch. I winced at the sound. Eel stepped from behind one of the Wombats a dart gun in his hands. He strolled forward as two armoured soldiers in palace colours darted out from behind him and dragged the officer off. They weren’t gentle and left a trail of blood behind. I signalled to my Marines to lower their weapons.

“Eel?” I said strapping my weapon back to my chest. My hand still rested on the grip of the rifle.

“Your grace,” he bowed to me.

“Her majesty safe?” I asked him. I was concerned for Ellie.

“Safe and waiting for you.”

I glanced in the direction they had dragged the body. If he was still alive he’d have one hell of a headache and from the looks of the blood on the floor a broken nose and possibly a broken jaw. “Who was that?”

“Someone who should not have been here,” Eel replied in a way that annoyed me.

“Why did you wait so long before acting I could have been in danger?” I fumed. When he spoke to me it always brought out the worst it was as if he was deliberately out to goad me.

“Never were,” he replied nonchalantly.

Dozens of red laser dots painted the ground where the fake officer had stood.

I assumed he was a fake and wondered how he had got past security. “And why didn’t you inform me?”

“Not enough time we weren’t sure what his plan was.”

“I must see her majesty,” I wanted to reassure myself that Ellie was ok.

“Time enough later. Her majesty orders you to get yourself changed, she will be waiting for you in the throne room.” Eel left before I could ask any more questions.

As much as I wanted to yell at Eel I didn’t aware we were still in a combat situation. I remained calm and wasn’t going to let anger rule me I had made that mistake before on Anoxi. “Stand down,” I ordered the Marines.

Slowly they lowered their weapons but remained alert. I nodded thoughtfully admiring their professionalism.

“Your orders sir?” The talkative Marines I found was called Peters asked.

I winced at that some past Emperor had enshrined phrase into military law now all officers were addressed ‘sir’ whether or not that they were male or female. “Stand ready.” I paused and added. “Send your comms link to my wrist unit.”

“Yes sir,” Peters saluted his fist clanging against his chest.

I held out my comms unit, the narrow band on my wrist might be ok for civilian use but far from ideal in combat situations and punched the codes into the unit.

“Hold position and be ready to move on my signal.” I felt alive after months of nothing I was back in action. I walked around to the back of the Wombat and called to Gena. “It’s safe now, Gena come out.”

Gena slowly emerged from the bowels of the Wombat looking pale and shaken I felt sorry for the younger woman feeling that I had let her down again. “It will be ok Gena,” I consoled her.

“Sorry my lady I was so scared.”

“I’m here now and you are safe.” I wondered what my guards thought they didn’t comment and remained like silent ghosts. Before I could speak again a ground car pulled up from the direction of the palace pulled up. My guards and the Marines went on alert. The small black painted ground car with its oversized tyres and blacked out windows was one that I instantly recognised. It had once belonged to Ellie’s father and we had used it to escape from the pink walled manor house. The door slid open and a man stepped out. I relaxed he was one of Ellie’s guardsman looking a bit out of place in civilian clothes.

“Your grace this car will take you to the palace.”

I thought it a bit frivolous taking the car it wasn’t that far to the palace. “Gena take the car and get yourself freshened up.” I gestured to the guards with Gena. “Go and give her a hand. I’ll walk.”

“Yes ma’am,” the two guards responded with a salute.

“Your grace!” the guardsman protested.

“And you, if anything happens to Gena I will take make in personal.”

The guardsman gulped.

Gena looked as if she was about to protest but a look from me silenced her.

As the car pulled away I relaxed at least that was one worry out of my hair. I regarded my two remaining guards. “Let’s march,” I said and trotted down the route the ground car had taken. It was a good fifteen hundred metres to the entrance of the palace proper. “At the double!” I called out and picked up the pace feeling invigorated.

Getting back to my apartment had taken longer than I had expected with all the security checks I had to go through. Not that I minded but even with all the extra security undesirables could still enter the palace. The three of us had entered the palace although it seemed years ago to me and challenged the Usurper in the throne room. The only time we were confronted I managed to bluff my way past. I wondered if it would have been quicker to take the car but at the time my only concern was for Gena the younger woman didn’t need any further trauma in her life. My first task on reaching the corridor that housed my apartment was to go to Gena’s room. There no entry bell on her door like my room sported so I knocked on the door and waited.

The door slid open to reveal Gena standing there in a servant’s dress her hair still wet from the shower.

“Ok now Gena?” I asked.

“Yes your grace,” Gena replied and curtsied like a palace servant. She glanced at the two guards still in her room.

I could see she wanted to say more. “Come on Gena you’ll be safe with me.” I was determined to find out what was annoying the younger woman. Unfortunately she wasn’t going to say anything in front of my guards.

The fact my apartment was tidy was the first thing I noted as I stepped through the door. I saw that besides the servants a security team had swept the room. They normally did that once a month but with what had just happened they were being extra careful. I knew they had done so because one of my books on my bookshelf was upside down real books and not fakes like the ones that lined my study at Rosewood Academy. It was their way of letting me know the room was clean. I walked over to the shelf and righted the book ready for the next time. Glancing over my shoulder I saw Gena standing by the door a lost look in her eyes.

“Sit yourself down,” I said to Gena. Adding to my guards. “Wait outside.”

Once they had gone Gena hurried to the couch and sat down a grateful look on her face.

“I take it the choice of clothes was not your idea.”

Gena grimaced. “I was told that I was trying to get above my station and I was only a servant.”

“Who did? Not my guards.” I couldn’t stop myself from sounding angry.

“No, no not them.”

“Then who?”

“I don’t know his name. He opened the door when the car parked up.”

“Point him out to me and I’ll put him straight.”

Gena gazed up at me reminding me of some of the dopey-eyed puppies some of the noble woman carried about in oversized tote bags. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Get changed out of those clothes and come back. I’m going to take a shower and change into something more appropriate.”

I showered and dressed in my uniform what I really wanted was combat armour but as with all my other requests it had been denied. At least I still had my borrowed coil assault rifle. I sat on the edge of the bed and stripped down the weapon and reassembled it feeling at peace with the familiarity. Gena returned dressed in a grey jumpsuit and belted around her waist was a sidearm.

“You know how to use that?” I asked her.

“Not really but it makes me feel safe.”

I straightened up thinking the younger woman needed something to keep her mind from dwelling too much on an off the cuff comment. “Sergeant Guerro!” I said remembering how well she had responded to her rank.

Gena stiffened and saluted Confederacy style. “Sergeant Guerro reporting for duty ma’am.”

I was glad she hadn’t used the Terran form of address I found it too sexist. “Move out sergeant!” Adding. “Keep step three paces behind me.” I paused and had a thought. “Any shooting stay down until I order you up that clear sergeant!”

“Yes ma’am!”

We stepped into the corridor and immediately my guards formed a square around us. I took the lead and marched down the corridor heading to the throne room my guards fell into step flanking either side of the us.

We arrived in the hallway before the throne room and halted. Before us were the massive doors with a pattern of roses and vines over their surfaces. I noted there were few people here and most of those were guards. Standing in front of the doors stood a huge bear of a man dressed in green and purple in his hand was a tall black staff. Two palace guards in full armour flanked him either side. He bowed to me as I approached.

“I’m afraid your guards and your companion will have to wait out here your grace.”

“Oh?”

“Her majesty’s orders I’m afraid.”

I knew the man was only doing his job. In fact that was his only job was to announce people entering. “Ok,” I said although I was reluctant to leave Gena on her own after her recent trauma. “Gena go wait in the anteroom,” I said to the younger woman pointing to a small door off the hallway to the throne room. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” I gestured to my guards. “Go with her and watch over her.” I watched them go. “Can I go in now?” I asked the man.

“Your grace.” The man bowed again as the massive doors swung open on silent hinges.

The throne was a huge long room a narrow green and purple carpet led from the doors to the throne at the fall end of the room. A high balcony ran around the room held up by massive pink marble pillars. I quickly scanned my surroundings noting the guards in front of each pillar and several on the balcony above. Ellie had at least put a few of the palace guards up there after I had pointed out that a lone sniper could target anyone on the floor below. I could see Ellie seated on the throne (a huge hulking over fancy to my eyes armchair) by her side was Camelia. I grimaced seeing them there. They were out in the open with no cover a perfect target for anyone who wanted them dead. As I approached the throne I recognised a faint shimmer in the air surrounding the throne. Several things slipped into place. They were behind a force field it explained why Camelia had been so concerned about reaching the throne room. I suspected that the throne could control more than just a force field. Ellie tapped the armrest of the throne and shimmer faded confirming my suspicions. I stepped onto the dais the throne sat on and knelt. Ellie tapped her armrest and the shimmer returned.

“Very clever,” I commented her eyes on Camelia. My aunt had the decency to blush.

“Oh get up Sandra,” Ellie said as she rose from the throne. “I know you’re enjoying this.” She strode over and abandoning Imperial dignity hugged me. “I was so worried when I heard the news.”

“No need to worry I’m perfectly fine.”

“I’m glad to see you’ve got through unscathed,” Camelia added.

I gave Camelia a look. “So when were you going to tell about the throne. It’s more than just a fancy chair.”

Ellie released her hold of me and sat back down. “You know at the time we weren’t certain of the Rhosani capabilities.”

“At least you could have warned me. What if the Usurper used it? I don’t think we could have survived if he had?”

“Even if he knew about the throne it was tuned to Constantine’s and my biometrics so he couldn’t have used it,” Camelia told me.

I guessed that very few people knew about the throne and decided to leave things there. “What happens now?”

“We’ll investigate who took a shot at you,” Ellie told me. “And who instigated it.”

“Take you pick from all the nobles I’ve insulted as of late. I’d put my money on the Count of Mozambique.”

“No we’ve kept an eye on them,” Camelia said.

“Then who?”

“We suspect the Night Guard.”

“Who are they?” I asked I had never heard of them.

“A banned organisation, xenophobic, anti-Confederacy,” Camelia said distaste strong on her face.

“The Usurper encouraged them to re-emerge. Ironic in fact since there was an alien controlling them,” Ellie added.

“Oh we have something similar in the Confederacy, the ATL.”

“We’ve heard of them.” Camelia said with a nod to Ellie. “The Anti Terran League are small fish compared to the Night Guard. The Night Guard have always been a big problem ever since the early days of the Empire.”

“Was that guy that accosted me in the parking garage one of them?” Sandra asked.

“We don’t know,” Ellie remarked looking at her mother.

Camelia frowned, her face serious. “I’d like to know how he got in?”

“Eel wasn’t too gentle when he dragged him out of there.”

Ellie winced. “I can feel a lawsuit coming on.”

“Well it’s better than my guards and I shooting him,” I told her.

“Oh?” Camelia seemed intrigued which was a bit of a surprise since she would be the first to tell me off for thinking with my fists. It meant most of the nobles avoided me and I was happy with that.

“He was going to draw his weapon.”

“Firing weapons in the parking garage would not have been wise. Any stray shot would have ricocheted of the hardened concrete surfaces,” Ellie said. “That’s why Eel used a dart gun.”

“And his snipers?”

“Specialist ammo,” Camelia said.

After and uncomfortable silence while I mulled over what had been said I changed subjects. “I’d like a psychologist to speak to Gena. I don’t want her to end up with PTSD like I had to endure.”

“I’ll send Dr Lessing to talk with her,” Ellie said.

I glanced at Ellie concern in my eyes. “Still having nightmares?” Dr Lessing as I had learned was a psychologist.

Ellie nodded as Camelia spoke up. “We’re getting it under control.” She shook her head. “If only the same could have been done for you.”

“I understand better than most what it’s like. So I don’t want Gena to go through what I suffered. At least the Guardians cured that but I wasn’t happy about the exchange,” unconsciously I pulled my gloves tighter. “What happens now?”

“Go back to your apartment there’s not much more we can accomplish until Eel completes his investigations,” Camelia told me.

“I could help patrol the palace grounds?” I said eagerly. I was itching to get back into action.

“Sandra you can’t,” Camelia said the meaning clear in her tone of voice she seemed to know what I was thinking.

I took note but wasn’t about to be cowed. “ That’s my task is it not? Com Ops made that very clear to me when they sold me down the river.” I was quite pleased with that last bit of Terran colloquialism. I had to admit I had to look up the phase when I first heard it.

Camelia drew a deep breath but Ellie spoke before she could utter a word. “Sandra, Gena needs your reassurance until we can get Dr Lessing to speak to her and that won’t be for a while until we’ve lifted the lock down.”

“Ellie’s right Gena needs you.” Camelia supported her daughter.

I gritted her teeth I knew they were right. I couldn’t leave Gena on her own. “By your leave your majesty.” I knew it was petty but I was angry that I could have been doing more but my aunt and cousin were throwing roadblocks in my way.

“Oh Sandra,” Ellie sighed. “We have your best interests at heart.”

“Have you?”

“Please Sandra leave things to us and see to your friend.”

I snapped a salute and stalked off as Ellie lowered the force field, raising it again once I was through.

Gena sat on a couch in the anteroom her face pale and drawn. I regretted the harsh words I had with Ellie. Ellie was trying her best in a bad situation.

Gena stood I could see the shakes hadn’t left her yet. “Sandra?”

“Sorry Gena,” I apologised. “We’re heading back to my apartment.”

With my guards surrounding me I took Gena back to my apartment.