The notion of early assault was tabled, but he ordered Scramjet Horn to jump to Euphrates every ten hours to scout the system.

  Seven standard days later, the primary plan remained on track. The Zwahilis responded well to the Talon combat techniques, using their own rifles and sidearms. The tension generated by the Mumbassa incident and Chi’s ambush appeared to have faded after Francois’s theatrics. Also not hurting: The Zwahilis took to their training armor.

  Chi’s physical recovery continued on schedule. She’d be whole before assault day, but the psychological adjustment was another matter. Cando insisted she keep her distance from combat training and Zwahili crew quarters.

  “We’re towing a fragile peace,” he told her.

  Chi didn’t buy it, and she said as much to Kara.

  “He wouldn’t isolate the other Talons if it happened to them. He doesn’t trust me.”

  “It’s not about trust. It’s experience. The others have been through war. Something like this, they could brush off. They’d walk out in front of the Zwahilis like nothing happened.”

  “And I would do what? Turn and run away?”

  “No. Cando regrets pushing you too soon. When I arranged the meeting in Mumbassa, Cando wanted to send along Meena. I told him I’d feel more comfortable with you at my side, and there wouldn’t be anything to worry about. I was wrong on the second count, but not on the first. You were brilliant, Chi. Cando wants to protect you.”

  “I don’t need protection.”

  “If Po hadn’t been there, they would have killed you.”

  “Then I would have died. At least I wouldn’t feel like some fragile girl hiding in protective custody.”

  “Do you want me to speak to Cando?”

  “For all the rings, don’t you dare. He’s my commanding officer. How pathetic would I look?”

  Chi wasn’t the only one still living under the cloud of that day. Kara had not spoken directly to Joseph Mogandi or Maxwell since the incident. She didn’t want to leave the Kingdom without closure. Eighteen days after the incident, on Day 79 of the mission, the chance arrived without warning.

  The Zwahili transport’s docking coincided with a midday lunch break in combat training. The landing bay was cleared of all soldiers. Ham told Kara and Chi to meet him there. Tell no one else.

  Kara sensed who was inside before the egress slid open. Joseph stretched his arms wide, just like at the ranch thirty-eight days ago.

  He went for Kara first, which wasn’t a surprise. He hugged full and without comment. Then he ignored Ham and pivoted to Chi.

  “A young woman, stout and courageous. I want you to know, Chi, there are those of us who sing your praise.”

  She accepted his hug with a whispered – and visibly shocked – thank you.

  “Hamilton,” he said as they shook. “Please. I invite you inside.”

  He asked his pilot to keep watch outside then closed the egress. Once seated, Joseph admitted he could have done this remotely.

  “But we are friends. I will always sit at the table with my friends.”

  Ham said they had talked privately about this meeting for several days, and even considered jumping Horn to the ranch.

  “Our last visit turned into a spectacle. No sense risking a repeat.”

  “How is Maxwell?” Kara said.

  “Much better. He can walk on his own but not far. He will not be mounting a horse for some time. We consider ourselves blessed to have him at home. Twice in the early days, we almost lost him.”

  “How does he feel about what happened?”

  “On the matter of the Splinters, he has not changed his point of view. As for the rest, he will speak for himself before I leave. For my part, I am here on behalf of the Mogandi family. We invited you into our home, and you were honorable guests. Then I invited you into a situation which was wholly inappropriate and dangerous. You two young women responded with admirable respect and restraint.

  “Chi, had you not acted quickly, more lives would have been lost. The reprisal against you was horrendous. It does not represent who Zwahilis are. Someday, I hope you will have occasion to visit us in peace and friendship.”

  Kara saw the weight falling away from Chi.

  “I’ll plan on it.”

  “As tempers settle, there are many of us who are examining what happened that day with fresh eyes toward the potential problem with the Splinter. I have spoken to my allies in the Triad. We did not fully appreciate the intense passions it is creating among the young. We have begun discussing what this might mean if the Inventor’s promise of making the Splinters more accessible comes to fruition.”

  Ham interjected.

  “Your allies? How difficult is your situation, Joseph?”

  “Delicate. For now, my influence is diminished. Not for long, I assure you. The rumors are growing of a pending announcement about the Alliance. Once it is made public, conditions on the ground will change. Influence inside the government will supersede the Triad. Many doors remain open to me there.”

  “Do you know the timetable?”

  “No. Years ago, Amayas spoke of 5367 as a realistic goal. The standard new year begins in forty-four days.”

  “The warships will be finished shortly beforehand. If timing is everything, then the Inventor is likely to emerge from the shadows.”

  “I hope you find him, Hamilton. He has many questions to answer.” Joseph sighed as he scanned his three guests.

  “In recent days, I have thought about all that has come to pass. Not just since your arrival. I journey across time. I think back to how our ancestors arrived here. It was not their choice; the Chancellors forced them from Earth. Yet we built a strong culture here with a vibrant economy and fine education for our children. We have reasons to be proud. Now I wonder where we are headed.

  “The Chancellors provided a roadmap for many centuries. It was narrow, and they made certain we stayed within its boundaries. After they left, we redesigned the map. I’ve no doubt the other colonies did the same. But what is our destination? Can we handle the responsibility of controlling our fate? Somedays, I think we are like children who do not understand our limitations. I pray we do not exceed them at the cost of our prosperity.”

  The words hit home.

  “I wonder the same thing about Hokkaido,” Kara said. “My grandmother used to say, ‘Never put your faith in shiny things.’”

  Joseph smiled as he opened a hand-comm. He threw open a holo of his grandson.

  “Maxwell does not drone on like me, but you’ll find his sentiments to be appropriate.”

  Maxwell sat in a rocking chair on the wraparound porch.

  “Look, I’m sorry about everything. I never thought it would spin out of control. I invited you because I wanted to prove Grandfather wrong. I wanted somebody outside to see how amazing it is to touch other universes. He respects you, Kara. I just knew he’d listen to your report and take us seriously for the first time. Grandfather means the world to me, but he can be an ass.

  “That’s not your problem, is it? I’m sorry. I was stupid. Oh, and I don’t know if your friend Chi-Qua is going to see this, but please tell her she’s not to blame. Not for a second. The circle disrespected her. It wasn’t fair. When I’m healthy enough, I’m going back to the city. I’ll try to make people understand what really happened. Can’t promise anything. Hope she’s doing well. Anyway, thanks for having faith in me. Goodbye, Kara.”

  They sat in silence for a moment to digest his message. Kara couldn’t have asked for more. Though Chi said little, her features softened. Her guard dropped.

  When the transport departed, Kara sensed she’d never see Joseph again. If the mission succeeded, would there be a point in returning to the Kingdom?

  Hope increased a few hours later.

  Francois bounded into Ham’s daily leadership meeting uninvited but with a glittering smile and a wink.

  “My most sincere apologies, Hamilton,” he said without sitting down. “I know this meeting is off-limits to your extended crew, but I believe this news has too great an urgency to wait.”

  Ham trashed the holo he was discussing and gave Francois the floor.

  “I know you have not believed me, but I have been working hard to find a lead to the Inventor. I just finished a delayed comm with my great friend David Bendi, our lead observer at the shipyards.”

  “Whoa there, Francois. David Bendi? You told us weeks ago he was a fierce rival and communicated only with others in the Triad. Now he’s a great friend?”

  Francois’s arms flailed, as they often did when he was called out.

  “I might have misstated at the time. I did not know you as well.”

  “Have you been talking to him all along?”

  “Only four times. Actually, five. Today would be six.”

  “We could have resolved many intel questions much sooner if we knew you had a direct line to him.”

  “Life is a series of questions, Hamilton. There is no joy if there are no questions. Yes?”

  “Wait. He knows about Scylla and the Chancellor pirates?”

  “Oh, yes. Fully informed. He is keeping the Chancellor observers close. He knows they cannot be trusted.”

  “And none of this you thought important enough to tell us?”

  “Not at the time.”

  “You and I should sit down and reevaluate a few things, Francois. In the meantime, what is your news?”

  “It is enormous. It is historical.”

  “Specifics are nice, if you please.”

  Francois did not stop beaming.

  28

  Arakaat Crater Shipyards

  Euphrates

  T HE CASE AGAINST ANGELA Poussard seemed damning. She arrived on Euphrates with false orders. Her mission? Bribe Persian engineers, navigators, and security officers responsible for the shakedown cruises. Their job? Surrender when Chancellor ships confronted them and allow a peaceful transfer of Charybdis and Hermes. Recent Envoy Hermann Crise laid out his case before the administrative council after having Angela and her team detained five days earlier.

  His two primary pieces of evidence? Envoy Poussard opened a massive credit table in the New Damascus Central Bank under a pseudonym. No one from the Fourth Fleet confirmed her so-called “orders” from Rear Admiral Constantin Tramel.

  “Angela Poussard is a traitor to us all,” he told the council. “She contributed in great measure to the collapse of the Unification Guard, and now she is building a rogue army. She will use these ships in conjunction with the faction that stole Scylla months ago to restart civil war on Earth and spread terror through the Alliance.”

  He admitted to faking his departure from the system in order to investigate his suspicions. He said the Chancellory was committed to forging a future in the Alliance and had long hunted this radical group. Angela listened to his pronouncements with quiet discomfort.

  He was an eloquent man, a Chancellor with a high brow and a love of his own voice. She worried his rhetoric might stand up against scrutiny. At first, she chose to buy time when she couldn’t disprove Crise’s stack of lies. She asked for two days to make direct contact with Admiral Tramel, explaining that he wrote an executive order without consulting the full Admiralty. Yet Tramel said she would be on her own if trouble arose, so Angela was pursuing a losing strategy. She counted on Hermann Crise being sloppy in trying to set her up.

  On the fifth day after the Carbedyne tests during which Hermann surprised Angela with his accusations, both envoys arrived before the council. Angela saw the verdict in their stoic eyes. Her heart settled.

  Chairman Aziz Hussein went straight to the point.

  “I sit on the Primacy Board of our three largest banks. I ordered an intensive examination of the account allegedly opened by Envoy Poussard. The evidence is clear. A credit table of five hundred million Stols was cleverly deposited through an elaborate scheme originating in a number of FreeLand tables at off-book depositories. Those tables were created shortly after this facility went live. Shortly after you, Mr. Crise, arrived on Euphrates.”

  Hermann lost color in his cheeks.

  “I am not interested in your personal motives, Hermann, but I am disappointed. I thought your interest was in advancing the Alliance, not your own coffers. This matter will be forwarded to the Securities Branch in New Damascus. Your collaborators will be exposed. The guards will escort you to your quarters until formal charges are made.”

  Hermann scanned the committee and rose in anger.

  “This is outrageous. You have no jurisdiction to detain or charge me. I am posted here under diplomatic status.”

  Hussein discharged the sigh of an exasperated man.

  “Mr. Crise, you resigned your post. You left under false pretenses. You were not officially reinstated. You are, quite simply, a man who has committed crimes on Euphrates. We do not live in the Collectorate. Chancellors may not amuse themselves at our expense any longer without suffering a consequence. I think you’ll find our legal system to be swift but fair. Please leave.”

  The guards gave the old man no choice. His eyes drew into slits when he passed Angela, his hatred coming from a place she did not understand. Why make such a stupid move? He must have had more at stake than she imagined. Why was it so damn critical he hold the office of envoy until the bitter end?

  She didn’t waste brain power trying to reason it. She spent a lifetime circumventing old guard Chancellors and their endless plans within plans, almost always designed to gain financial leverage. Later, she told her team:

  “The Chancellory did not fall because of military defeats. We came undone because of cudfruckers like Hermann Crise. When we should have focused on elevating our caste, we were gutting each other for individual gain. That’s one thing we’ll have to change when the new Chancellory takes control of Aeterna.”

  Then she laughed.

  “I must admit, I do like the premise of a bribery scheme. Too bad I don’t have the funds to pull it off.”

  After Crise left the council room in disgrace, they called Angela forward and apologized for detaining her.

  “Hermann is an indolent bureaucrat, but we thought he was harmless,” Hussein said. “Our deepest regrets. The investigation into his finances will be cumbersome and by itself would not have exonerated you. However, I contacted Joakim Barter, a man who I consider a friend. He is second only to the Inventor himself in making the Alliance possible. An hour before this meeting, I received his reply, in which he vouched for you with all his heart.”

  Angela did not see it coming. He lied. Joakim lied. Without his implicit support for her crusade, Angela would not be here. He wants me to succeed. He wants the warships.

  “Thank you, Chairman Hussein. I’m honored to have your trust again. My staff will be excited to hear the news. We will do our part to make sure these warships are safely tested and delivered to Zwahili Kingdom, where they belong.”

  She thought the meeting might break up, but Zwahili lead observer David Bendi called for a point of order.

  “If I might, Mr. Chairman. There is other news we had not intended to release for many days. However, as a token of our apology to Envoy Poussard, I believe she has a right to know in advance about our special guest. With your permission?”

  Hussein deferred to Bendi, who said:

  “Envoy Poussard, we intend to launch Hermes and Charybdis on their maiden flights very soon. Recently, we were informed Amayas Knight will attend the ceremony. He will make a proclamation instructing Alliance leadership to engage with their governments. In effect, the Splinter Alliance will no longer operate as a shadow consortium. We will walk into the sunlight and change history.”

  She checked a range of emotions and politely thanked him for the transparency. She promised to hold her tongue until the council released a statement.

  As soon as she returned to her quarters, Angela broke her word. She called in Peter Montana and Siobhan Morrow first. When she explained what happened, the air of exultation turned to tempered optimism. Hermann’s stupidity was worth a toast or two, if only they served wine in this miserable place.

  The Inventor’s arrival was another matter. Angela wanted to meet him. She needed to know his true identity. What was his real motive? Might he pose an obstacle to taking Aeterna? Problem was, the second her plan for the warships reached fruition, she didn’t want to be anywhere near the shipyards. The Persians and Zwahilis wouldn’t need long to figure out she was, indeed, the traitor Hermann described.

  Peter and Siobhan agreed. The team must secure spots on the warships to observe the shakedown.

  “We won’t surprise anyone this time,” said Siobhan, who helped Dayton Romilius steal Scylla and kill the shakedown crew. “We have the Codex sequences. After we disable the escort fleet and take control of those warships, every member of the Alliance will see the truth. There will be no going back. We cannot be on Euphrates when it happens. They might just shoot us on sight.”

  Angela had a similar notion then added:

  “What if Amayas Knight decides to hop a ride with us?”

  Peter said, “Even better. We’ll have leverage. In the meantime, we hold him hostage and snag every ounce of intel we can. After we take Aeterna, we kill him. The Alliance will collapse.”

  “And make enemies of ten planets?”

  “Don’t kid yourself, Angela. We have enemies on forty planets. Nobody wants us.”

  “I don’t agree completely, but we’ll table that discussion for now. Have you heard back from Tramel?”

  “Yes. His last transmission was coded on the round. The ships are being prepared. They’ll wait in the Fulcrum until it’s time.”

  “That was fast. I wasn’t sure Tramel had the stomach to put his career on the line for this gamble.”

  “He knows what’s at stake, Angela. They all do.”

  Peter was cocky after he succeeded in routing the stolen NAR Codex sequences off Euphrates. At one point, he suggested his techniques would change the history of Chancellor espionage.

  “Almost there,” Angela said. “Aeterna will be in our sights before we know it.”