The Shattered Empire (The Shadow Space Chronicles Book 2) (39 page)

The part that truly annoyed Lucius was that there were effectively no differences between the Centauri Confederation and the Tau Ceti Separatists at this point.  While the Centauri officially stood for law and order, they had degenerated into a totalitarian regime backed by a powerful military and undercut by corrupt cronyism and massive super-corporations that owned entire continents, if not worlds.  The Tau Ceti, who said they stood for freedom, often backed the worst regimes on their allied worlds, in the name of winning the fight against their enemies.  The war had become a thing of economics as much as anything else and the losers in that were the common people who not only had to shoulder the burden of paying for it all... but also gave their lives in the fleets that clashed and the covert operations teams that fought one another on the ground.  If any of the reports were even remotely accurate, billions had already died in the constant warfare... and the representatives of each power continued to confidently state that victory, and an end to the war, was at hand.

As of the last that Lucius had heard, Elysia controlled the Centauri system with all three of it's inhabited worlds, Elysia, Greenfall, and Novo Rodina.  They also had nominal control over the Kied, Delta Pavonis, Epsilon Indi, and Sigma Draconis systems, though in each of those systems several planets were contested, at best.  The Centauri Confederation Ambassador would, of course, claim to speak for President Spiridon and all thirteen systems and forty inhabited planets, to include Sol and Earth.  Both sides claimed Earth, but in reality almost no one counted Earth for any value beyond the prestige of controlling it.  Earth, having been repeatedly looted and raided, it was more of a consolation prize than anything else at this point.

To openly suggest that the Centauri Confederation didn't control everything they claimed would be taken as an insult, especially if the speaker in question made it sound as if the Centauri Confederation didn't have the right to rule those thirteen systems.  The institutional arrogance amongst their elite was something that grated on Lucius.  They possessed an almost divine sense of their own superiority, though that seemed backed by little in the way of achievements or merit.

Lucius pushed all that back though and managed a shrug, “Sometimes I wonder if  they'll use the terms Byzantine and Centauri synonymously.”  If they were being observed, that could be taken as a somewhat backhanded compliment.  Though, in fact, Lucius meant it in the sense that the Byzantine Empire had fallen to the barbarians, after their complex web of alliances had collapsed.  So too, he felt, was the Centauri Confederation doomed... and for more reason.  Only the relative weakness of the Colonial Republic had spared them, thus far. 
And for all the destruction and death it will bring on their civilians,
he thought,
they would still be better off with the chance to build something new, assuming said barbarians give them the chance.

“Perhaps,” Kate answered.  She looked around, “As I've said, I have a few theories as to the identity.  There are a number of their military figures who would be ideal, from their perspective, representatives to us, particularly a few who served under Admiral Dreyfus during Amalgamated Worlds.  Granted, their 'peacekeeping' operations they've undertaken has painted most of their ranking military leaders with enough blood that their people won't really feel much good will.  This might be part of why they're keeping the identity quiet, so that they won't have a negative response back home.”

Lucius nodded at that.  It wasn't unknown for riots, looting, and even insurrection to break out on one of the nominally loyal worlds when this or that war hero – or war criminal, depending on perspective – received some accolade.

“Then too, I've thought it might be one of President Spiridon's immediate family.  His daughter, in particular, has been out of the media of late.  Some have suggested an assassination they want to keep quiet,” she glanced around as if to suggest that she wanted that rumor overheard and possibly countered.  “If that's the case, they probably want to keep the family member's movement quiet, particularly with the numerous attempts on his family over the past few decades.”

Lucius snorted at that.  It wasn't really funny, he knew, so much as morbidly ironic.  President Spiridon had risen almost meteorically to power four decades previously.  In the time since, he and his family had gradually pulled more and more power to his administration, to the point that the elections had become little more than a bad joke.  As a result, he was possibly the most hated man in human space, a despot with a worse reputation for ruthlessness than the terrorist Thomas Kaid and with a higher body count than the pirate Tommy King.  Such success had, of course, garnered the attention of a host of enemies, some of whom were rumored to be his own family, eager for him to make way for the next generation of despots.

“More likely, however, is that they have someone senior to their government, someone that doesn't want their political opposition to know they're out here, away from where they can take action,” Kate finished.

Lucius raised an eyebrow at that.  He hadn't considered it, though that made as much sense as the rest.  “That's a possibility, though I would imagine that President Spiridon would make some guarantee of preserving their power base until their return.”

She gave a shrug, as if to say that who knew how far anyone could trust President Spiridon.  “In any case, I'm guessing no matter who it is, we should find out shortly.”

Lucius snorted at that.  His eyes, though, ranged back to where Lance Namori and Sergeant Timorsky stood, their eyes roving the crowd.  Officially there as assistants, they were here to make certain that this remained a diplomatic discussion... and if it didn't, they were charged with protecting him.

Lucius had spared a moment of worry that they might feel some sympathy towards their original home before their departure.  Seeing the hard lines on their faces as they stared at the Centauri Confederation elite, he saw that worry was completely unfounded. 
They hate these men and women,
he realized,
with the hate of those who have been at the very bottom and scraped for every morsel to survive.

“Baron Giovanni, Madame Minister,” a voice said from behind them.  Lucius turned and he vaguely recognized one of Kate's civilian assistants.  “I thought you would want to know, but the Centauri Envoy just arranged for a high bandwidth ansible connection back to the Centauri Confederation, set to start in a few minutes.  I'm told it would be suitable for a live transmission.  I also noticed a Centauri Times media crew is setting up over in the corner.”

Lucius glanced over.  He didn't recognize all of the equipment, but he could guess well enough what most of it was for.  Whatever stunt the Centauri Confederation planned to pull... they were about to do it.  From how they'd kept his people in the dark, he had little doubt it would be a surprise of the unpleasant sort.

Kate spoke up, “Thank you, Anders.  Please make sure we have someone watching their feed, if possible.”  That was a smart move, Lucius realized.  While they would see the same thing as the people here, how that footage was modified or edited could have a profoundly different message to those who would receive it.  She turned back to Lucius, “Baron, perhaps–”

  Before she could finish, the Centauri Envoy stepped out of one of the side rooms, “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending this historic event, which I am certain will lead to the unification of not just our two nations, but hopefully all of human space.”  Xinghan said that with a smug tone that set Lucius's teeth on edge.  “Baron Giovanni, President Spiridon thanks you for your attendance here tonight and gives his sincere apologies for being unable to attend personally.  He does, however, feel that his Ambassador will not only fulfill his duties, but will be welcomed here by the United Colonies government.”

Lucius stepped forward and he noticed that the assembled guests and functionaries had cleared an area.  “Thank you for your welcome, Envoy Xinghan.  However, I was under the assumption that the Centauri Ambassador would be in attendance?”

“I am here,” a light but commanding voice spoke up from the open hatch behind Lucius.  He turned and felt a moment of puzzlement as he stared at the short, dark-haired man in the doorway.  His face was familiar, somehow, though Lucius couldn't quite place it.  Gray streaked his dark hair and lines creased his face, signs that he had born the weight of responsibility and stress.  He stood with a military precision, though he wore a carefully tailored dark suit rather than any type of uniform.

“And who are you?” Lucius couldn't help but ask.  He knew it was a setup, somehow, but he wasn't quite sure how.

The Centauri Ambassador gave him a slightly crooked smile, “I am Marius Octavius Giovanni, formerly of the Nova Roma Empire, and now a representative of my home since my exile, the Centauri Confederation.”  He nodded to the assembled guests, “I am the father of Lucius Giovanni and the bastard son of Emperor Romulus I... and I am here to talk about healing the wounds between our nations and once again being unified against the many threats our worlds face.  I am pleased to announce that the systems of Volaterra and Lavinium, formerly of the Nova Roma Empire, have sworn their allegiance to me and I, in turn, have given my loyalty and service to the Centauri Confederation.”

***

Lucius made it through the initial handshakes and pleasantries in a dazed state.  Though he managed to smile for the cameras, inwardly his emotions were a hash too complex for him to sort out.  He couldn't say if it was elation or anger that gave a slight tremble to his hands.  He didn't know if it was fear or excitement that made his stomach roil.  He knew he needed some time to figure out exactly
what
he felt... and that this surprise had been sprung upon him to prevent exactly that.  Upon that realization, he felt much of his emotional uncertainty ease.  Regardless of how he
felt
, he needed to think and to push his emotions to the background.  This realm of diplomacy was no different than battle, in that if he allowed his emotions to rule him he would grant victory to his opponents.

Thankfully, after what felt like an eternity, the Centauri Ambassador, who Lucius refused to append a name for the sake of his own sanity, announced that he and Lucius would need privacy to discuss the terms of alliance which President Spiridon had offered.

As they departed the lounge, Kate moved up next to Lucius.  “I thought you said your father was executed?” she whispered.

“He was,” Lucius answered.  Everyone said he was... everyone except for Admiral Mannetti, whose cryptic statements during her imprisonment now took on multiple meanings.  He met Kate's eyes, “I honestly don't know what to believe... which tells me that this whole thing stinks.”

The Centauri Ambassador led them into a boardroom off the main passageway.  Like everything else Lucius had seen aboard the
Centauri Cornucopia
, the room was luxurious to a fault.  In particular, the wood paneling looked to be Saragossan Pine, which was rare not only due to the fact that it took six centuries to grow to maturity, but also because the Chxor had seized the system.  The beautiful purple and gold hued wood had an almost metallic sheen to it... due to the fact that it absorbed a number of metals as it grew.  In addition to it's unique beauty, it acted as an excellent barrier to eavesdropping, both electromagnetic and sonic, Lucius knew.  He also knew that he was thinking about that rather than facing the immediate situation as a coping mechanism.

He snorted a bit at his thoughts and faced the man who called himself Marius Giovanni.  At close range, the similarity to his own features was unmistakable.  Marius stood a bit taller than Lucius, but his body had the same light build.  His face was lean, leaner than Lucius's, and his dark eyes had a glint of amusement and a wry twist to his lips.  “I'm sorry, Lucius, to spring this upon you as a surprise.  I know this all must come as something of a shock to you.  Trust me, if I could have contacted you any sooner, I would have... but there were agreements in place and you never seemed far away from the agents of Nova Roma.”  He had a tone of absolute bitterness, one which suggested just what he thought about them.

“Surprise?” Lucius asked.  He shook his head, “I think this goes beyond surprise, beyond shock, even.”  He took a deep breath.  Despite the possibility that this was his father... Lucius felt a wall of emotional detachment come down.

“Well, I promise you, I will do my best to do things right by you and your sister, especially now that I am able to act freely,” Marius said.  “And with your help, we can finally put things right with the human race, once more...”

“Stop, please,” Lucius said, his voice flat.  “You are here as the Ambassador for the Centauri Confederation.  As their agent, you have their agenda and, presumably, a message from President Spiridon.  Before we get into any philosophical discussions about saving humanity, let's deal with what President Spiridon wants... and why he sent
you
here to get it.”

“This is not how a son should address his father, regardless of his age!” Xinghan said sharply.  His tone either perfectly mimicked shocked outrage or he genuinely felt that way.  Lucius couldn't say which way he would bet.

Lucius turned his gaze on the Envoy and the other man took a nervous step backwards.  “I will state this once, and once only,” Lucius said, his voice flat.  “Regardless of your message here, the theatrics you used out there was pure manipulation, not only of the emotions of billions of people who will see it, but also of my own emotions, in order to push whatever agenda you people have.  If there was any sincere desire to reunite me with this man, who
claims
to be my father... well, it could have been done in private and announced later.  You both are complicit in what amounts to emotional blackmail in an attempt to put me off balance for this discussion.”