Pax Imperia (The Redemption Trilogy) (16 page)

While widely known as a universal communication and message relaying system, the Tachyon relay had another mode of operation, known to very few. The original designers of the system had envisaged that one day there would be a need for an emergency broadcast system—the ultimate loudhailer. It would be able to reach every single person via any device with a receiving function that was connected to the system, and could be done instantaneously.

There was only one override ‘code’ for this system and it was built into the very hardware, the nano-circuitry, which comprised these relays. It was impossible to find or modify, and there was only one person who knew the code.

Unfortunately he had been brutally murdered only days before.

However, while some father-in-laws gave their sons furniture as a wedding gift Jon had been given the ultimate set of override codes. These would open every door in the fleet, ensuring no ship would ever deny him access and all computerised control systems would immediately respond to his call.

As he entered the complex set of codes into the closest Tachyon relay, it suddenly fell silent, no longer processing the usual packets of messages. It was ready to transmit only one message, for its new master. The Tachyon relay around Eden Prime, one of a dozen master relays, instantly notified those relays connected to it to stop processing and await further instructions. This call was repeated and spread out across the entire Confederation, until every relay fell silent. For the first time since the invention of modern communication systems, humanity fell silent, waiting for the message Jon was about to deliver.

At a nod from the Communications Officer, Captain Morden turned back to Jon, confirming that he could proceed.

Jon took a deep breath, wondering what he was going to say, but, after a sudden flash of insight, he understood exactly what needed to be said.

“Citizens of the Confederation, I have an important announcement that I need to pass on to you and would ask for your attention, for just a short while. Many of you will not know me; my name is Commander Jonathan Radec. For over a decade I served in the Imperial Navy, for almost half that time as Commander of the Praetorian Guard. During that time my duty was to protect the Emperor and the Imperial family, to keep them safe and protect them from harm.

“Yesterday, I failed in that duty.

“Sadly I have to inform you that following a shocking, unprovoked attack on Eden Prime, at the very heart of our Confederation, the Senate has been destroyed and many thousands of people have been killed.

“It is not just the Emperor, my master, that I grieve for as I stand before you today. For he was also a man I called “Father”, and his daughter, my wife, also died in this attack. But I do not grieve alone, for today, on many planets throughout the Confederation, there are families that have lost loved ones. For the first time in over five hundred years we are all united, in grief. Children who no longer have a mother, or a father. Parents who have lost a son or a daughter.

“History is full of such tragedies. It teaches us that we must accept those things that we cannot change, to move on and continue with our destiny. Those who have died just become footnotes in the story of the rest of our lives.”

Jon paused for a moment, tears blurring his eyesight, as he tried to imagine ever being able to contemplate such a thing. He could not. Marcus and Sofia were more than just his family. They had taken him in when he had nowhere else to go and they had given him a home, a purpose in life. Without even realising it, Sofia had stolen his heart. His very life was intimately bound to her and the thought of moving on was unimaginable.

“I cannot and will not do that.” Jon stated in a tone of such finality that not one person listening to the broadcast doubted his words. “I will not let these events go unanswered and become just another episode in history. Instead it will become a turning point, a watershed in history that people remember for the rest of their lives and pass on to their children. This will become a moment when we, who have all lost so much, stand up and say, “No more.” For those who instigated this horrific attack on us think that a government is an institution, a bureaucracy that can be attacked, that can be easily swept aside and replaced. What they do not comprehend is that buildings, rules and laws are just symbols and can be easily changed. What cannot be so easily replaced are the ideals that lie behind these; hope, freedom, and liberty. These are the principles under which we all live and they cannot be destroyed, as they live inside each and every one of us. However, they are not an automatic right and we need to fight for them, protect and cherish them. My father-in-law understood this, as did my wife, and they spent every day of their lives struggling for these basic rights for all and they died believing in them.

“I will not allow their deaths to be meaningless. Therefore I swear an oath now, before you all, on their very lives, that I will continue their struggle in memory of them. I will fight for their beliefs and ideals, to make sure they are never lost nor forgotten. The people behind this attack want confusion and instability. They desire death and destruction. They want a war. Why? Because all this fosters fear, which can be a person’s greatest strength or their ultimate weakness. It can be used to twist people and make them say things they will never otherwise contemplate, believe things that otherwise they would never believe. For over five-hundred years the Imperium has stood as the last bastion against fear. Its founding reason was to end the war that had wrecked so many lives and thereby protect the weak against those in power who would exploit them. It is a stronghold that has stood the test of time and stands for stability, safety and protection. Yet, this very day, it faces its most difficult test, as it is under siege from those who would try and destroy it. Today we are at war against all those who wish to tear down what we stand for.

“In a time of war we need a leader who will stand above the rest and take charge, whilst making the required difficult decisions. Needless to say, I have no desire or wish for such a role, but others have thrust it upon me and I recognise that if I do not accept it, then confusion and instability will soon follow. Those who strike out at us will win and I cannot allow that to happen. It would destroy everything that my wife’s family has spent five generations establishing. Therefore, a few hours ago, I took the mantle of Emperor and secured full control of the Confederation Navy. Until such time as the Senate can be safely re-elected and reconvene, I am suspending the constitution of the Confederation and declaring full martial law throughout the Imperium. The powers of the office of the President and the Senate will now revert back to the Emperor. Planetary control will pass to civilian governors who will remain in control of civil law enforcement and the judiciary. All other arms of the military will, as of now, come under the combined authority of the Imperial/Confederation Navy, under my personal command. I will mould these into a blade, a sword that will smite the stars themselves. The final part of my message, is a warning: To those of you who conceived, plotted and carried out this cowardly, despicable act. I give you due notice that you have made a terrible mistake, as you should have killed me when you had the chance. Instead you have taken from me everything that I once held precious in my life. I now have nothing, no other aim or purpose left, except one.

“Revenge.

“Understand this clearly, I Jonathan Radec, the last Emperor of the Imperium, will hunt you down. It matters to me little how long it takes, for I have the rest of my life to find you. Run, hide or fight, I care not, but understand this—there is nowhere that you can go, no place to hide where you can escape my wrath. When I do find you, I will make you comprehend the pain and agony that you have inflicted this day on so many others. Before you die, you will feel their pain, as I will inflict it personally upon you. This I swear to you on the lives of my dead family and all the others that you have killed. Tremble, for I am coming.”

At a nod from Jon, the Communication Officer closed the channel, leaving a void of sound on the bridge. It was as if all the oxygen had been sucked from the room, and nobody could speak or even dare to breathe.

Standing, Jon looked each and every officer on the bridge straight in the eyes. He held each person’s gaze, only for a moment, but it was as if he was looking inside each of them and inspecting their soul. More than one officer shuddered after his gaze had moved on. “Admiral Sterling,” Jon whispered softly, but his words carried easily across the stillness of the bridge. “I will leave you and your crew to carry on with your duty. You have your orders. If you need to contact me I will be on the
Relentless
, Admiral Romanov’s flagship.”

Sterling acknowledged this with a nod and Jon turned to leave, having accomplished his final task. His message had been broadcast to every corner of the Confederation and whoever was behind the attack on Eden Prime would have heard it. With any luck they would try and kill him first, which would save him the trouble of having to go looking for them. Before he could leave the bridge, one of the junior officers stepped into his line of sight.

“Oh—” she started, obviously unsure how to address him.

Jon meanwhile flicked out a hand, catching her by the wrist before she could bow on one knee at his feet. At her frightened look, he reassured her. “Lieutenant,” he observed her rank. “If everybody falls to their knees at my approach, medical is going to be busy all day and night with pulled tendons. So why don’t you just ask me your question?” He observed the pretty young officer’s eyes go wide at his soothing tone. With her shoulder-length black hair and deep brown eyes, Jon idly thought she would have been better off choosing a different career, as events were more than likely going to get far worse before they got better.

“Uh, I’m Lieutenant Castlebeck, Public Relations Officer for the 12
^th
fleet. It’s my job to manage the press, arrange tours, interviews—”

“I’m a little busy to be giving interviews at the moment, Lieutenant,” he replied with a cool expression. “Now if you will excuse me?”

“It’s just I need to know what I am going to tell them?” Castlebeck quickly asked, before she lost her opportunity.

“Tell who? What?” Jon asked, with a mystified expression.

“The media. They will want more details. You know, things like your plans, up-and-coming engagements, maybe a photo-shoot opportunity?”

“Did my message just now not cover all the salient points?”

Lieutenant Castlebeck tried to suppress a frown, but was not quite quick enough. “Next time, perhaps you could run it by my team first? It was an excellent first attempt, of course,” she added hastily, upon noticing his cooling expression. “But we could help smooth out the rough edges next time, perhaps help you put a bit more of a positive spin on the message.”

“Positive spin,” Jon added with a dangerous edge to his voice. “Would that perhaps refer to the part of my message where I promised to inflict absolute pain and agony on all those involved in the attack?”

Possibly recognising that this was already a lost cause, but trying one final time, she nodded brightly, adding, “Perhaps next time we could just refer to some as yet unspecified future punishment?”

Jon thought about this for a moment, before an evil gleam appeared in his eye. “I completely agree Lieutenant.”

“You do?” she replied, agog.

“Absolutely. From now on you will personally field all media enquiries on my behalf, you will conduct all face-to-face interviews requested and…” He left the word lingering in the air for a moment. “You will definitely stand in for me for all photo shoots, as you are far more photogenic than I am,” Jon added, under his breath. “That way you can leave the rest of my schedule free for the next few years for hunting down the conspirators behind this attack, a task for which I am far better qualified. Now carry on Lieutenant,” Jon added cheerfully, stepping around the young officer, before anybody else could stop him from leaving the bridge.

“But what should I say when the press quiz me on your up and coming legislation?” Castlebeck called out after him.

“Just make it up,” Jon called back nonchalantly. “The Senate did it all the time and nobody will notice the difference.”

“Great job, Sam,” one of the other officers quipped from behind. “Why didn’t you comment on his wardrobe choice at the same time?”

“Go suck a lemon, Rodney,” she replied, frustrated. “You don’t think I could suggest some lighter, pastel colours perhaps?” she added after a moment’s hesitation. “The black really makes him look so washed out on holo-camera.”

“Speak for yourself, Sam,” Julie from communications butted in. “I think he looked so dark and handsome and, as for his speech…” She pretended to swoon in delight, before mimicking his voice,
“Therefore I swear an oath now, before you all, on her very life that I will not allow her death be meaningless. That I will continue her struggle, I will fight for her”.
Why can’t my husband ever say these things to me?
”
she asked out loud.

“That would be because you don’t have a husband,” Sam replied nastily. “You’ve never been married.”

“Maybe not yet, but at least I don’t need to look any further. Perhaps our new Emperor needs a shoulder to cry on,” she added hopefully.

Lieutenant Castlebeck just rolled her eyes in disbelief. However, any further discussion on the topic was quickly interrupted by the approach of Captain Morden and the angry glare he gave them all made them quickly scurry back to their posts.

*****

The quarters on the
Relentless
were still pitch black and not a single whisper of air seemed to move. At a casual glance the room seemed unoccupied, but deep in one corner, where the shadows caused by light from the viewport lengthened, one shadow seemed to stand out from the rest. Almost as if it were not a shadow but a dark pit that seemed to swallow the surrounding darkness.

Resting his head against the cool surface of the viewport, Jon allowed a small breath to escape from his chest. The warm air, meeting the cool surface of the viewport, caused a thin layer of condensation to appear. Then it vanished just as quickly, as if it had never been there. Wrapping the dark cloak tighter around him, he tried to ward off the deep chill he felt inside.